


Bechloe - Striking Vipers AU

by when_you_know_you_know



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Striking Vipers Crossover, VR world, explicit - Freeform, girl penis beca
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2021-02-25 09:35:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 50,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22254019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/when_you_know_you_know/pseuds/when_you_know_you_know
Summary: Based on the Black Mirror episode 'Striking Vipers': When two old college buddies reconnect in a VR version of their favourite video game, the late-night sessions yield an unexpected discovery’…(the exact synopsis for the Black Mirror episode)
Relationships: Aubrey Posen/Chicago Walp, Chloe Beale & Beca Mitchell, Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell, Chloe Beale/Chicago Walp
Comments: 28
Kudos: 98





	1. Chapter 1

Chloe stands by a small table in the back yard of her home, a happy smile on her face as she looks around at all the familiar people gathered around. Today is her fortieth birthday. The big 4-0. And she has to admit, her life is pretty sussed. She has a handsome husband, two beautiful children, a perfect home, and a perfect lifestyle.

Her eyes catch sight of a figure she hasn’t seen in several years, and her breath catches in her throat. One of the most famous musicians in the world, her estranged best friend and fellow Bella from college-

“Beca?!” she bursts, a beaming smile on her face as the brunette approaches her with an equal look of delight.

They throw their arms around each other in a brief hug, the gift bag in Beca’s hand swinging round and smacking Chloe in the back. But the two don’t notice, light chuckles falling from their mouths as they part.

“My God, what are you _doing_ here??” Chloe gushes, clearly over the moon. Because Beca’s been a nightmare to stay in contact with since becoming an overnight sensation over a decade ago. It had been four years since they’d last seen one another.

“I was in the neighbourhood and Chicago had been bombarding my assistant with calls saying I needed to drop by.” Beca says with a shrug, “So here I am, _literally_ dropping by on my way to the airport.”

“Wh- _God_ it’s so good to see you, no matter how short the time!” Chloe replies, genuinely over the moon to see the woman she’d been so fond of once upon a time.

“I just wanted to give you this.” Beca says, holding the gift bag out proudly, and Chloe takes it curiously. She pulls out a slim game case, and her eyebrows rise as she recognises the cover.

“Wow, ‘Sims’??”

“Sims X” Beca corrects, “The latest version. I’ve been playing it for a while but seriously Chlo, you’d love it. It takes virtual reality to a whole other level.”

Chloe’s smile wavers, and she looks up into Beca’s eyes, “I bet it’s great but…I don’t have a VRX to play it on so…”

But Beca’s smile remains full as she motions to the gift bag in Chloe’s hand, “There’s more.”

And Chloe lets out a gasp as she pulls out a slim lightweight gaming console, a slim controller, and a small box. In the small box is a pin-badge sized gadget.

“All you do is place it on your temple, hit the green circle on your game controller, and away you go.” Beca explains, as though it’s the most simple thing in the world. And Chloe admits to herself, it certainly _does_ sound simple.

“Beca, I-I don’t know what to say.” she begins, still stunned by her old friend’s generosity, “These arent cheap.”

“Hey, I earn mega-bucks, Beale.” Beca says, calling Chloe by her maiden name as she always has done, and it sparks a familiar warmth in Chloe’s soul, “This really was no big deal to get. _Plus_ , I’ve written the passcode of my neighbourhood in the opening page of the little game manual here.” and she takes the game case carefully, opening it then motioning to a slim game manual beside the tiny game cartridge, “So you can visit the neighbourhood I’ve built and I can show you around!”

Chloe feels a little overwhelmed, but is touched by the sentiment. Plus, it _would_ be good to finally become more in contact with Beca, and if this was the best way to do it then who was she to decline such a generous gift.

“I don’t know when I’ll have time to play what with the kids homework after school and stuff.” Chloe tries to pre-warn, but Beca nudges the game case back into Chloe’s hand.

“That’s ok. Just call or text me when you’re ready to play it, and I’ll make sure I’m free to play from wherever I am. It’ll be great.”

And Chloe smiles. Because yeah, it _will_ be great.

—

“So I’ve never played on one of these consoles before.” Chloe says into her phone.

It’s nearing 11pm. Her husband is out late at work again, and her kids are in bed asleep. And for the first time in several weeks since her birthday Chloe finally feels like she has enough time to take Beca up on her offer of exploring her ‘Sims X neighbourhood’.

She’s sat on the edge of the couch in her lounge, the console on the TV before her, and she rolls the small pin-badge sized gadget between her index finger and thumb.

“Don’t worry.” Beca replies confidently down the phone, “I’ll talk you through it. So you’ve set the game up, right? You see the welcome screen?”

Chloe is looking at her TV and does indeed see the welcome screen. It’s retro. Just how she remembers it from their days living in Brooklyn when she used to play ‘Sims 2’ on her laptop in her 20s.

“I see the welcome screen.” She confirms. A soft smile is on her face. It’s so nice hearing Beca’s voice. And Chloe is beginning to realise how much she’s missed her.

“Cool. Now click on the ‘character’ button.”

Chloe does as she’s directed, clicking the ‘character’ button. There are what looks to be thousands of ‘life-like-looking’ characters available for Chloe to look at and choose as her Sims avatar. But just as her eyes are drawn to the group of female redheads, Chloe hears Beca say:

“Now click the photo-match button.”

Chloe squints at the screen slightly, hating how her eyesight is gradually fading. But she soon sees the button Beca is indicating and she clicks it. She lets out a sharp gasp when she sees avatars that look exactly like herself pop up on the screen. One that looks like her now. One that looks like her in her teens. _Three_ looking like she did throughout her twenties. And one from her thirties.

“How-?” Chloe begins but Beca is quick to interrupt.

“-cookies. All of the modern consoles have them. Linked to your social media accounts.”

It sounds like Beca isn’t best pleased by this information but she seems to have abided by it nevertheless.

“What era ‘Beca’ did you go for?” Chloe asks, flitting between avatars, undecided. But the decision maker was in what Beca said next:

“Mid-twenties.”

“Ah, the Brooklyn years huh?” Chloe says with a grin, and she chooses her own avatar to match that timeline. She misses those days. It’d be nice to play Sims as her former self, wandering around whatever odd neighbourhood Beca had created.

“Chosen?”

“Yep!” Chloe confirms before watching as the game’s menu draws up onto the screen. “Okay, what do I do now?”

“Click ‘find neighbourhood, then put in the code I wrote in the small manual.”

Again, Chloe does as instructed, double checking the code before pressing ‘ok’. She half expects something to happen right there and then, but to her relief, it does nothing more than send her back to the menu screen.

“And then…?” Chloe asks, wondering what more could possibly be done.

“And then you attach your VRX Charm.” Beca replies, and Chloe swallows loudly. She wishes she’d read more about them. But if Beca recommends it then it’s bound to be okay, right? So as she brings the charm up to her right temple and places it on the skin with a little twist, she chuckles nervously.

“This is all safe, right? It’s all ok?”

She feels the small metal device clinging a little uncomfortably to the side of her head, but Beca’s words soothe any anxiety she may be having.

“Believe me Chlo, you’re gonna be _so_ okay with this, you’ll be reluctant to leave.”

So Chloe lets out a shaky breath, and sits back comfortably on the couch, game controller in hand. She sees her life-like Sim stood in the centre of the screen, arms crossed while swaying its hips from left to right, as though waiting for something.

“Close your eyes.” Beca advises, and Chloe does so before following the woman’s next instruction, “And press the green circle on your controller.”

No sooner had her thumb hit the circle, Chloe felt herself being tugged forcefully backwards. Speeding lights appeared to fly around her before her very eyes. But Chloe knows her eyes are closed. That she‘s still sat in her lounge at home. And yet, it feels as though she‘s travelling far far away, faster than she’s ever moved before.

She feels a literal ‘pinging’ sensation the second her travelling stops and she opens her eyes. Chloe lets out a massive gasp. This can’t be happening.

The studio apartment in Brooklyn. That stuffy old apartment that she and Beca (and Fat Amy) had called home for three years post graduation. Chloe is stood in it! Everything is there - from the weird bath-toilet setup they had, to the mismatched mugs piled by the kitchen sink, to the random alphabet magnets on the fridge, and that old fold-out couch that had acted as her and Beca’s shared bed. Weird for best friends to do, sure, but Fat Amy had insisted on the double bed to herself.

And the _smell_. Chloe has no idea how Beca has managed it but the place smells like the laundry detergent Chloe had always bought at the time - cheap yeah, but smells divine. She never realised that with VRX everything could look and feel and smell so… _real_!

“Like what you see?”

Chloe jumps at the sound of Beca’s voice and turns sharply on the spot. There, in her favourite jeans and white vest top, her long brown hair in light waves, and her skin definitely looking as it had done when she’d been 24, was Beca. Slowly approaching her with a proud smile on her face.

“Beca it’s _amazing_!” Chloe bursts with a huge smile, and she glances up to see a green diamond hanging above Beca’s head, then glances up further to see one hanging above her own head too, “So we’re…actually Sims?”

Beca steps over to the bed and leaps backwards onto it with a sigh of satisfaction, bringing her hands behind her head.

“Yeah, we’re Sims! I’ve designed this neighbourhood to be exactly like our days in Brooklyn. Exact apartment. Exact favourite coffee shops. Exact favourite bars.” and Beca pauses, her smile broadening as she sits up, “I’ve even managed to create a section of the neighbourhood that’s just like Barden!”

Chloe’s mouth is hanging open as she tries to take this news all in. So Beca’s essentially…created a method of time travel? After all, it feels as though they’re in their old bodies - Chloe looking down to see that yes, she _definitely_ has the hot body she’d had in her twenties. And Beca watches affectionately.

“With VRX you dont just _see_ a virtual reality. You _hear_ it. You _feel_ it. You _taste_ it. You _smell_ it.” Beca says, standing from the bed with a smile, stepping over to the bowl of wrapped candy in the middle of the small kitchen table, and plucking one out.

Chloe takes it as Beca offers it to her, and lets out another small gasp. There it is. Beca’s right. She can _hear_ the rustling. She can _feel_ the corseness of the plastic wrapper as she unwrapped it. Can _smell_ the lemon flavouring. And as she places the candy into her mouth, she can _taste_ the sugary treat.

“Nobody can access this neighbourhood except you and me.” Beca continues to explain, a soft smile on her face while she watches Chloe’s mouth sucking the candy, “Kinda like it was back when we lived here in real life. We never really saw a lot of people around.”

Chloe hums in agreement, slowly wandering around the VR apartment that is designed to perfection. It’s like she’s travelled back in time. And she smooths her fingertips across surfaces, feeling the softness of the bedding beneath her palm.

Then with a sigh of content, she turns to look at her estranged best friend and it suddenly feels like it once did.

“It’s perfect.”

—

An hour later and Beca and Chloe are stood in their favourite bar. They’re laughing hard at a memory they’ve just shared. And Chloe takes a large gulp of a cocktail she _always_ used to have here at ‘Maddens’. It tastes exactly how she remembers.

There’s a feeling within her that she hasn’t felt in a long time, though she refuses to address it. For now she’s enjoying the company of her ~~estranged~~ best friend. She’s missed this. She’s missed _them_. She’s missed living here in Brooklyn. With Beca. She’s missed her twenties and her rockin pre-baby body. But this VRX game helps bring everything back. Yes it‘s virtual reality, but for the first time in a very long time Chloe feels _happy_ again.

“I’d really better be going.” she says reluctantly after another cocktail, “Chicago’s gonna be home soon.”

She sees the disappointment on Beca’s face but chooses not to dwell on it. This wasn’t goodbye for forever. Just a goodbye for now. After all, they now have _their_ Brooklyn. This little slice of ‘paradise’ that they can escape to if ever they need to leave reality for a bit and essentially travel back to a simpler time in their lives.

“I’ll text you when I’m free to meet up again?” Chloe suggests, hopping up from her bar stool, and as she reaches out to hug Beca goodbye she also seems to nestle her hips between the woman’s legs - Beca still perched on her own stool. The smell of Beca’s perfume sets Chloe’s heart beating a little faster and she realises she recognises the perfume as one Beca always used to wear back when they’d lived here in their twenties.

“Yeah just give me a text and I’ll be here in a heartbeat.” Beca says, a sad smile on her face as Chloe steps back, “Thanks so much for coming.”

And Chloe lets out a content sigh, smiling sweetly at the brunette, “Thanks so much for making this place for us. It’s perfect. I’ve…I’ve missed you so much.”

Her hand hasn’t left Beca’s, both resting entwined on the surface of the bar, and they hold each other’s gaze for several moments. Chloe hasn’t felt this way in a long time. Desire. Attraction. Safety. But then she reminds herself that this isn’t real. None of it. Not really. Beca is probably the most real thing about it and even then she’s somewhere else in the world, hooked up to the same gadget, trying to escape reality.

With a heavy sigh, Chloe steps back from Beca, releasing her hand, and putting on a brave smile.

“So,” she exhales, “how do I get out of here?”

“You just yell the words ‘Game Over’ and clap your hands together once.”

Chloe takes one last long look at her best friend, sad to be leaving her, but excited to see her again soon. Then finally announces clearly:

“Game Over!”

and claps her hands.

Chloe’s eyes snap open, her heart still racing from the intensity of the end of the game. She pulls the VFX charm from her temple, then reached out to swift off the game console, and a soft smile sweeps over her face. Because it had all felt so real.

**Goodnight Beale x**

Chloe reads the text from Beca and her smile broadens.

**Goodnight Beca x**

—

Chloe finds it difficult to concentrate on anything the next day. Or anything the day after that. Her mind is on nothing and nobody but Beca. Much as it had been in the first few years that she’d known the woman in college, and the couple of years after that. All until she met Chicago. Chicago who is now her husband and the father of her two children. And yet her mind and soul has secretly and suddenly returned to Beca.

She finds herself searching online for Beca, filtering through latest entertainment news articles, scrolling through her social media pages. And eventually, once Chicago texts her for the third night in a row to say he’s working late, Chloe decides she can’t stay away from ‘Brooklyn’ any longer. So she picks up her phone and contacts Beca.

**I’ll be in our Brooklyn tonight. 10pm x**

—

“Looking good, Beale.”

The comment is calm and cool and nervous all rolled into one, and a grin spreads across Chloe’s face when she leans back against the closed door of the studio apartment. Sat before her on the edge of the fold-out bed is Beca, the sunlight streaming through, touching upon her features. And upon seeing her again, Chloe’s heart skips a beat.

“So, what did you wanna do?”

—

Chloe lets out a long squeal of delight, gripping tightly to Beca’s waist as they zoom along the desolate ‘Brooklyn’ streets together on the back of a top-of-the-range Harley-Davidson. She’s never been on the back of a bike before. And she’s never held Beca this close before either, wanting to take in the experience of having Beca between her thighs without thinking too much about it. Because this is how everyone accepts a ride on the back of a bike. The main rider _has_ to be at the front while their passenger straddles them from behind. And Chloe likes it.

If Chicago saw her now he’d kill her, having always hated motorbikes. But it is one of Chloe’s dreams to ride on the back of one and Beca has known that for as long as she’s known Chloe. Which is probably why she suggests they go for a ride, exploring the neighbourhood she’s built over the past ten months that she’s had the game.

Chloe finds herself letting out a gasp as the bike slows and they round a corner onto a street that is an exact replica of the street they used to live on when they attended Barden University back in the day. From every tree and house, to the lake that Chloe hasn’t even realised is there until arriving on the street.

The bike comes to a stop, Chloe looks from the lake on her right to the house on her left and her heart warms. It’s their college house. The Bellas House. And as she slips off the bike and tugs her helmet from her head, a warm summer breeze catches her long red hair, her eyes drifting closed as she takes a long deep inhale of the beautiful fresh summer scent that had always accompanied that breeze back in the day that they’d lived here. This breeze hadn’t been present a few blocks away in the ‘Brooklyn’ section of the neighbourhood.

“My God, Beca.” Chloe says in her exhale, her eyes opening and looking over to see her best friend already off the bike and slowly approaching her with a coy smile.

“You like it?”

“I love it!!” Chloe exclaims in delight, turning back to the building before her, “Your attention to detail is insane!”

Beca lets out a light chuckle. She has no intention of ever telling Chloe that she’s created all this for her. Every single detail. Down to the light summer breeze that Chloe had once told her in their senior year was her most favourite smell in the whole world and is one of the things she’d miss the most about moving away from Barden.

“Wanna look inside?”

“Do I!!” Chloe bursts, and she flashes Beca a huge bright smile before dashing excitably to the big front door.

Chloe’s eyes are wide in wonder as she slowly makes her way through each room, her fingertips skimming across every surface, as though needing a reminder that while this was virtual reality, everything was still touchable. She could still _feel_. Both physically and emotionally.

The house and everything in it is _exactly_ how she remembers it, and it fills her with so much happiness and warmth and belonging. Far moreso than her current home and life has ever been able to.

“Beca, I-I…” Chloe pauses as she stands in the middle of her college bedroom. Everything is exactly as she remembers it. The smell of her college perfume, the feel of the hand-me-down rainbow coloured rug on the floor, the sight of… _everything_. The detail is impeccable. The warm breeze even drifts through the open window, rocking the windchime which tinkles gently in the background, “I don’t know what to say.”

“It’s okay that I did this, right?” Beca asks in an anxious tone, “It doesn’t disrupt your privacy too much?”

“Absolutely not!” Chloe says in a firm yet soft tone, looking over her shoulder at her best friend, tears shining in her eyes, “It’s the most amazing thing anyone’s ever done for me!”

She begins walking over to the window, curious to know if she can see the ‘Brooklyn’ part of the neighbourhood.

“I remember you saying how scared you were to leave this place towards the end of Senior year.” Beca says, stepping a little further into the room, picking anxiously at her cuticles, “I figured if I could do anything with my millions it’s to eventually recreate our favourite places using all the add-ons the game’s creators provide. That way you’ll never need to be scared again.”

A coy smile spreads on Chloe’s face as she continues to look out the window. Beca has always been kind to her. Has always been generous. Has always looked out for her in one way or another. This is definitely ‘another’!

“I don’t remember us ever having a swing in the back yard.” she replies with a frown, pointing down at the large oak tree sat in the centre of the back yard.

“Oh, um, yeah. I added that in. I figured it’d be fun.” Beca says nervously, arriving by Chloe’s side, “But if you wanted me to get rid of it then I totally can-”

“-No way!” Chloe interrupts, turning to Beca with a broad smile, “Come on, let’s go!” and she grabs Beca’s hand, dragging her out of the room, down the stairs, through the lounge, through the kitchen, and out the back door of the house.

Within minutes Chloe is letting out a loud rippling laugh, soaring high on the swing (a long wooden slat tied by two ropes that is slung over a big branch). On the ground before her stands Beca, having swung Chloe to those great heights, a huge smile also on her face, chuckling with each of Chloe’s squeals per passing.

“I need to stop!” Chloe shrieked in delight, waggling her legs slightly, “Beca stop me!” And Beca laughs loudly, reaching out with a jump and miraculously grabbing hold of the swing, pulling it to a stop.

The two best friends chuckle, breathless, looking into each other’s eyes. Beca is leant down, her hands remaining on the wooden slat, a palm either side of Chloe’s hips. Chloe’s hands grip onto the rope, one each side of her body.

Suddenly Beca surges her face forward, kissing Chloe firmly on the lips. The motion knocks the wind from Chloe’s lungs but she closes her eyes all the same, her hands leaving the ropes to cup Beca’s cheeks.

Beca’s lips are every bit as soft as Chloe imagined they might be, back when she’d wondered what it was like to kiss the brunette back in college. She hasn’t had thoughts like that in years and years. While she thinks about it, she accepts Beca’s tongue into her mouth and a moan rattles from the back of her throat. She feels her stomach knotting with desire and a tingle between her legs and in an instant she suddenly wants to tug every item of clothing on Beca’s body to taste every inch of her skin…

But then Chloe’s mind brings her an image of her husband and the redhead breaks their kiss with a snap. She looks at Beca who is looking back at her equally stunned. They’re both breathless, such is the adrenaline pumping around their bodies. And Chloe feels the light summer breeze filter through her long red hair again.

This isn’t real life. This is all a virtual reality. Beca isn’t really here and they aren’t in their twenties and at Barden. They can’t be _doing_ this!

“Chloe, I-” Beca begins, but Chloe has brought her hands quickly from Beca’s cheeks, panicking at what has just happened between them.

“Game Over!” Chloe practically yelps, and abruptly claps her hands together.

Beca falls forward as Chloe disappears suddenly, and she lets out a heavy sigh.

Chloe’s eyes snap open, and she’s sat in her lounge, breathless. She immediately looks to a nearby clock and sees that 2 hours has almost passed. She also notices that her panties are substantially wet, the knot in her stomach still present, along with the tingling of her pussy.

She brings her fingertips to her lips and feels certain that the kiss she just shared with Beca in their virtual reality Barden still lingers.

Chloe is angry with herself and pulls the VRX charm from her temple, throwing it to the side with a frustrated growl. _How_ could she have let this happen??

Her eyes look to her phone as she sees Beca’s name flashing on the screen, but Chloe cancels her call. After closing down the VRX console she makes her way through to the kitchen to get herself a water, and receives a text from her best friend.

**Chloe I’m sorry! Please let’s talk! X**

But Chloe can’t face talking to Beca yet. So she switches her phone off then goes to bed, hoping she can forget all that she’s just been feeling and all that she’s just done.


	2. Chapter 2

“You okay?”

Chloe jumps at the question, and looks up at her husband with a vacant expression.

“Hmm?”

“Are you okay?” Chicago repeats with a frown, sat at the breakfast table with his morning paper laid on the surface beside his breakfast plate, “You just seem…I dunno, _distant_.”

Chloe, who is stood by the kitchen sink, clears her throat and dips her hands into the warm soapy water to continue washing up her sons’s breakfast things.

“Yeah, of course,” Chloe lies, clearing her throat again while trying to sound as ‘normal’ as possible, “I just…didn’t sleep so well last night.”

Well that part is true. Chloe hasn’t slept well the past _few_ nights since kissing Beca in that VRX game. Or rather…since Beca kissed her? Though whenever Chloe thinks about how to word it in her head, she remembers kissing Beca back just as firmly. This mess isn’t all Beca’s fault.

“Again?” Chicago checks, folding his newspaper closed and raising his eyebrows in surprise, and Chloe knows why - she’s never had a problem sleeping before this week.

“Tell you what.” the man adds in a soft tone as he rises to his feet, and wanders over to her, “Why don’t I take the boys out to the movies tonight? Give you a couple of hours to yourself to rest.” Chloe’s eyelids draw closed as she feels her husband’s strong hands smooth across her shoulders, his thumbs working out the tight knots around her shoulder blades. “To have a bath, to eat whatever meal you like without the judgement of the men in your life,” he suggests with a light chuckle and Chloe smiles, already knowing which vegan meal to make without her meat-crazy sons and husband around, “and to unwind with a good book or something. Something that’ll take your mind off the real world for a while.”

Chloe swallows loudly as Chicago pauses his motions to place a kiss on her cheek, then they break apart as their two sons tumble into the room with their school uniforms on and respective rucksacks over their shoulders. They bid brief farewells to their mother, as does Chicago to his wife, and Chloe watches them leave with a fake smile on her face. Because, as she has been the past ten days, all she can think about it Beca.

—

“Chloe?” she hears Beca burst down the phone the second their call connects, “God, I’m so sorry about the other day-”

“-I want a night out.” is all she abruptly says, and it’s clear it’s not what Beca was expecting.

“Oh, uh, sure. I-I’m not in Atlanta right now but I could make the trip in time for Monday night? I could perhaps get hold of Aubrey and she could rally up the gir-” but her sentence is interrupted again by Chloe who is pacing impatiently in her kitchen, her free hand on her hip.

“-I don’t mean in this world,” she says firmly, “and I don’t mean later in the week. I want a night out tonight. In _our_ Brooklyn. Just like we used to.”

“Um, yeah, o-okay.”

She can practically hear Beca’s smile from where she’s stood, it being channelled down the phone through her voice, and she lets out a short sharp exhale, adding stubbornly:

“I’m not gay.”

“I know…” Beca replies in a quiet voice.

“I’m married-”

“I know.”

“-I have two children, and a good life-”

“I know.”

“-and what happened the last time we went to your VFX neighbourhood can’t ever happen again.”

“I know.” Beca says for the umpteenth time, though sounding more confident with her confirmation. And Chloe lets out another sigh, though this one is more drawn out.

“I just want to have a night out like we used to.”

“Okay.” Beca agrees in a soft tone, “So, what did you have in mind? Specifically?”

Chloe drags a kitchen chair from under the table and sits down heavily on it. It’s weird to think that Beca can essentially give her anything she wants. In the VFX world.

“Juniperos.” she begins with the nightclub, the one they’d always gone to back when they’d lived in Brooklyn in their twenties, “I want it to be busy. Full of people. I want it to be their 00’s night - you know, the one where they always played retro music from the early 00’s?”

“I know the one.” Beca replies, her smile evident and Chloe can tell she’s reminiscing too.

“I want there to be those awesome shots available.”

“Bohemian Rhapsody’s?”

“Yes! Those!” Chloe exclaims, her eyes brightening as she reminisces about her favourite drink that she’s not had in yeeears, “And I want to be able to feel the effects of the alcohol. Like a proper night out.”

Their conversation goes quiet as Beca clearly takes all this in, and Chloe wonders if the woman is writing it down.

“And are you wanting me there?”

The question is asked slowly. Cautiously. As though any sudden movement might scare Chloe and Beca would have to go another few days without speaking to her.

“Of course.” Chloe replies affectionately, “You’re still my best friend, Beca. Going out in Brooklyn wouldn’t be right without you.”

There’s a pause and Chloe knows that this time Beca is smiling. Hell for the first time in a couple of weeks Chloe feels as though she’s smiling herself.

“And did you want to start the game from in the club, or from our apartment?”

Chloe thinks good and long about the options provided. Then with a satisfied smile, she sits up straight.

“I’ll meet you in the club. By the bar. 8pm”

She does everything in her power not to imagine that she’s just asked Beca out on a date. This _wasn’t_ a date. This was a night out between two best friends in one of their favourite places. There would be drinks and dancing and Chloe’s theory was if they were away from the ‘Barden Neighbourhood’ she was less likely to remember that kiss they’d shared.

“Earlier than usual.” Beca notes, and Chloe wonders how 10pm/11pm has become their ‘usual’ just because they happened to be the times they’d met up the last time they’d played Sims X together - which so happens to be the _only_ two times. “Alright, Beale. 8pm at Juniperos. I’ll see you there.”

And Chloe ends the call without another word. Her heart is racing and her stomach feels knotted again. This won’t be a date. And it _isn’t_ an affair. She is just meeting her best friend for drinks in their virtual reality world. Her best friend who she happened to be very attracted to when they’d been younger. Her best friend who she’d happened to share a kiss with the last time she’d been in that virtual reality world.

Chloe swallows loudly. Her husband _did_ advise her to essentially use the time this evening for doing something for herself. This _is_ her doing something for herself. And she knows that she is going to have an amazing time. Because she is going to feel as though she has arrived _home_.

—

For the third time in a row, Chloe is impressed by Beca’s attention to detail, this time particularly given the short notice Chloe had provided her with this morning. Juniperos is as trashy-chic as she remembers: the lighting low, with strobes shooting about the place; thuds of the beat of retro music from the early 00s (Sean Paul And Blu Cantrell?? _Classic_!), and the smell of sweat mixed with sticky shots of sweet alcohol.

Chloe wades her way through the crowded club, satisfied that now she is _technically_ out in public with Beca she is less likely to accept any potential advances her best friend headed her way. Not that Beca is the advancing type..

A little alarmingly, none of the faces of the other people in this club are clear. Their features are all blurred. As though somebody hasn’t programmed them right.

To Chloe’s relief she sees her best friend stood at the bar, dressed in black leather pants and a white t-shirt that is seethrough enough to reveal a black bra underneath, and Chloe’s heart skips a beat. Beca’s outfits is one of her faves. And she knows that Beca knows this because Chloe had told her so, once upon a time.

Beca sees her and throws a hand up in recognition. And the motion has Chloe’s chest tightening slightly. But she continues on towards her. Because this _isn’t_ a date. This _isn’t_ an affair. They’re just meeting for drinks and a dance like they’d always used to do.

“Hey!” Chloe calls out above the loud music once she arrives by Beca’s side. Her grin is as broad as Beca’s, the brunette yelling something back, but Chloe can’t hear her over the music. So she leans her ear towards Beca’s mouth while yelling “What?”

“I said you look really nice tonight!” Beca repeats, and Chloe feels herself blush at the compliment. She’s wearing something different tonight. An old favourite she used to wear whenever they went on a night out back in their twenties.

A beautiful figure-hugging white dress; the sleeves of which are short, ending just off the shoulder; and the front of which is buttoned from the top of the garment where a small modest amount of cleavage is showing, down to her naval. It had always caused quite a stir on nights out back in the day, but Chloe had always worn it because it had made her feel good. Another reason she is wearing it tonight is because her 27 year old Sim body _can_ fit into something that slim fitting.

Chloe leans back briefly to adjust her position so she can bring her mouth closer to Beca’s ear, and she yells back, “You look really nice too!”

As Chloe takes a step back, they both connect through their eyes, smiling excitably at one another. This feels how it did when they’d lived in Brooklyn thirteen years ago. And Chloe suddenly becomes acutely aware of the music and how much she wants to dance.

“I wanna dance!” Chloe shouts out and Beca seems surprised, yelling back:

“Did you not want a drink first?”

And Chloe remembers how she’d been in her twenties. Loving a dance, yes. But having always needed at least one drink before heading out onto a dance floor. But there’s something about knowing this is all just a virtual reality game, that has Chloe feeling more confident then she has done in a long time.

“Maybe in a little while!” She yells, and with a smile she gives Beca no time to think, instead dragging her through the crowd of blurred faces by the hand, heading straight for the dance floor. It wouldn’t be long before she has to leave the game and return to reality, in time for her husband and sons’ arrival home from the movies. She wants to make the most of the opportunity to dance and feel truly young again.

Within minutes she and Beca are dancing together with big smiles on their faces, bumping into faceless bodies on the busy dark dance floor while sweat shines from their skin, lit only at intervals by passing strobe lights.

After twenty minutes or so the beat drops to accommodate the opening to Nelly’s ‘ _Hot In Here_ ’, and Chloe finds her arms slipping over Beca’s shoulders while Beca’s hands rest on her hips. They roll their bodies to the beat of the song. Chloe feels that knot in her stomach again when she drops her hands down Beca’s back while her forehead rests on the woman’s shoulder. Beca’s hands meanwhile have slowly crept around to Chloe’s ass, stroking it occasionally while their bodies press against one another, still moving to the rhythm of the music.

Beca turns her face into Chloe’s neck as Chloe does the same, and Chloe swears her breath has caught in her throat. Because this is all so hot and sexy and exciting and risky. And before she knows what she’s doing, she brings her lips to Beca’s neck and places a brief wet kiss on her skin. She feels Beca grip her ass in reaction to the kiss, and Chloe finds herself smirking.

Okay so they never did this back when they’d been in their twenties. They’d never danced like this. Had never held one another so close. Had never dared to touch one another in ways that they are now or in ways that they’re considering. But this is virtual reality. None of this is real. Not really. It might feel it (especially when Beca kisses Chloe’s neck in return and they move as one to the rhythm of the music that’s almost lost to them now) but at the end of it all Chloe will snap back to her reality as a housewife and Beca will snap back to her reality as a multi-award winning, multi-millionaire recording artist, and little more will remain of tonight other than a memory. A memory that will likely fade into a mix of memories that will likely confuse fact with fiction and the truth of what they _really_ did in their twenties while living in Brooklyn together will become a mystery.

Chloe is soon placing long sloppy kisses up Beca’s neck and along her jawline while Beca kneads her ass cheeks, clearly as swept up in the moment. Somewhat breathless, Chloe’s lips eventually find their way to Beca’s cheek, then the corner of her mouth, and suddenly she pauses.

Chloe and Beca’s foreheads touch as they stare down at one another’s mouths. Their chests heave while their bodies quake in anticipation. And Chloe _thinks_ that the words Beca’s yelling over the music are something along the lines of “I don’t want you to do something you don’t want to do just because I created this place for you!”

But Chloe _wants_ this. She’s too caught up in the moment. So in response, and as confirmation that she’s willing to throw caution to the wind, Chloe grabs the front of Beca’s shirt and pulls her into a deep kiss. _Because_ _none of this is real_. It’s all a virtual reality. And Chloe keeps telling herself that to try to justify the fact that she is technically now using this virtual reality game to cheat on her husband with her best friend. Her best friend who she’s held a flame for for _years_. It’s just been burning away beneath the surface ready to be reignited.

Chloe’s hands gently release Beca’s t-shirt while they continue to make-out on the dance floor, ‘Hot In Here’ now changing seemlessly to ‘Just A Dream’. But neither Beca or Chloe think about the lyrics. Because Chloe’s right hand has now slipped down to cup Beca’s left boob, and as a response, Beca’s hands are nearing the hem of Chloe’s tight white dress.

_I was thinkin’ ‘bout her, thinkin’ ‘bout me, thinking’ ‘bout us, what we gon’ be, open my eyes, yeah, it was only just a dream…_

The song plays on as Beca and Chloe’s kiss continues to intensify, both in terms of pressure and daring. Chloe lets out a gasp when Beca’s hands now head for her breasts, and her tongue slips back into Beca’s mouth with ease while the brunette begins to undo a couple of the buttons at the top of her white dress. Chloe’s hands, meanwhile, have headed south, and are busy reaching for Beca’s ass when suddenly she feels something against her crotch that has her frowning.

She breaks the kiss, peering through the darkness at her best friend who is breathless, the strobe lights revealing that Beca is staring back at her with swollen lips and hooded eyes. Beca’s hands smooth up to join together and cup the back of Chloe’s neck, placing her forehead against Chloe’s cheek while Chloe brings her hands around to the front of Beca’s pants and feels…a bulge!

“You said you weren’t gay.” Beca says clearly into Chloe’s ear, and Chloe’s eyebrows rise. Beca is right of course. Chloe _did_ stipulate specifically that she wasn’t gay. So had…Beca _done something_ to her Sim to kinda keep in line with that statement? To bend ‘the rules’ sightly (whatever ‘the rules’ were).

Chloe continues to cup Beca’s… _whatever_ …and her eyes flutter closed as Beca begins to kiss slurping kissed on her neck, her breath warm as she lets out small groans and heavy exhales with each squeeze that Chloe gives. With each groan, Chloe finds herself becoming more aroused, and soon she’s grounding her crotch into Beca, kissing her deeply once again.

“I want to see it.” Chloe eventually pants into Beca’s ear, and Beca wastes no time in grabbing Chloe’s hand and tugging her through the crowd, away from the dance floor, and through to the bathrooms at the back of the building.

Chloe’s heart is racing as they find the bathrooms unusually empty. It should’ve been then that she is reminded that this is virtual reality. None of it is real. And that she can back out now while she still has the chance.

But Chloe’s desire for Beca is tenfold and they’re barely inside the echoey room before she’s shoving Beca around and pushing her up against the wall, Beca flailing a hand in the general direction of the door and successfully locking it. Their gasps and pants and loud kisses echo off the walls, adding to the intensity of the situation, and soon Beca has practically torn off the top three buttons of Chloe’s tight dress.

Chloe grins at the sight of Beca’s eyes bulging greedily the second she sees Chloe’s boobs fall from the dress, and she lets out a loud moan the second Beca ducks her face forward to pull a nipple into her mouth. The feel of Beca’s tongue as it swirls around her right nipple send a delightful shiver down Chloe’s spine, and she reaches for her best friend’s hair, gripping it tightly while her eyes close and her head drops back.

She’s not been involved in anything this erotic since the odd fling here and there in her freshman year of college. Now, twenty one years on, she’s succumbing to a desire she’s had for many many years. And at no point does she have any intention of leaving. Not until she really really has to.

Once she’s satisfied that Beca’s slurped up most of the sweat from her breasts, Chloe decides it’s finally her turn to do some exploring. So she pulls Beca upright, cupping her cheeks and kissing her firmly while pushing her back against the wall again.

Then Chloe begins her descent, tugging up Beca’s white t-shirt, pulling down the left cup of her black bra, and immediately taking Beca’s nipple and areole into her mouth. Her tongue swirls and dances around the nipple, loving the noises it produces from Beca’s mouth. She gives the right boob the same treatment, Beca eliciting the same noises again.

Then she begins dropping to her knees, placing a trail of kisses down Beca’s sweaty abdomen. All the while, Chloe’s hands have started fiddling with the top of Beca’s leather pants, her fingertips hooking over the waistband.

She looks up Beca’s body and catches the brunette looking down at her, the woman’s chest heaving in anticipation. And as soon as Beca gives a curt nod, Chloe tugs her pants down. Beca’s cock - all six inches of it - springs out, and Chloe can think of nothing more to do than gasp and stare at it.

“Too much?” Beca forces out beyond her breathlessness, clearly worried. But Chloe just shakes her head. Because _it’s_ _Beca_. And if this is the decision that the brunette has made when creating her Sim then so be it. Chloe doesn’t care so long as she’s with Beca.

“I always wondered what having a dick would be like.” Beca says with a nervous chuckle and Chloe looks back up at her with an expression of fascination on her face.

“And?” she asks, but Beca just shrugs.

“Meh, it’s a little uncomfortable trapped under leather pants.”

Chloe looks Beca directly in the eyes, a seductive expression on her face as she reaches up and carefully takes hold of Beca’s member.

“How about now?”

But the moan of pleasure that leaves Beca’s mouth is enough to answer her question. The smile on Chloe’s face broadens, and as she slides her hand slowly up and down, she revels in the sight of Beca’s face twisting with enjoyment.

“ _God_ that’s good.” Beca groans, throwing her head back against the bathroom wall.

“Better than having a pussy?” Chloe asks, genuinely curious while she continues to move her hand slowly up and down Beca’s shaft.

“Dunno…it’s hard to sa-AY-y!”

Chloe had held back for too long, and suddenly, towards the end of Beca’s sentence, she decided to just give in. With her mouth wide open, she took in the head of the cock, sucking it gently before swirling her tongue around it. And based on Beca’s reaction, it was _goooood_.

“ _God_ Chlo!” Beca cries out, her attention drawing back down to the sight of Chloe pleasuring her, her bright blue eyes looking up in mock-innocence. And Chloe feels her pussy tingle, over the moon to hear those noises and words coming from Beca’s mouth while the brunette’s breathing puff out of her cheeks with each sharp exhale. It only serves to coax Chloe further.

Within a minute Chloe is drawing all of Beca’s length into her mouth and throat. And Beca is running her fingers through Chloe’s hair, pausing from time to time to let out soft moans, her hips rocking back and forth involuntarily.

Chloe begins to speed up her efforts, but Beca is quick to stop her.

“Woah-woah-woah steady.” she says with an exhale, gently taking Chloe’s hair and easing her mouth from her cock, “I don’t wanna…you know…in your mouth.”

Chloe wipes the corners of her mouth with her hand, letting herself sniff briefly, before rising to her feet. But as she clears her throat, Beca is quick to surge forward, cupping her cheeks and kissing firmly on the lips. Chloe’s arms are quick to swing around Beca’s waist, kissing the woman back with as much vigour and gusto as she is receiving the kisses in return.

And before they realise, they’re on the floor of the nightclub bathroom, Chloe beneath her best friend, panting as Beca slurps at her breasts hungrily. The redhead’s eyes are closed and all she can think about is Beca’s _dick,_ wondering what it might feel like inside her.

Chloe lets out a small squeak when she feels Beca’s tongue brush its way up the slit of her pussy, having not realised Beca had even shimmied her body that low. And she looks down the length of her body to see the top of Beca’s head rocking while the woman begins to eat Chloe out.

The sensation is incredible, and Chloe smacks her head back on the floor, letting out a low moan of pleasure as Beca begins sucking at her clit. Chloe’s hands find their way back to Beca’s hair, and she gently tugs and grips it as she feels her orgasm building.

A slopping noise echoes around the empty bathroom as Beca continues to go down on Chloe, her tongue now slipping down to the entrance of Chloe’s pussy to lap up the woman’s honey. Chloe’s breathing is becoming increasingly laboured as her orgasm builds and builds. And just as Beca brings a finger up to rub Chloe’s clit, the redhead tugs gently at Beca’s hair to gain her attention.

“ _Wait_!” Chloe bursts in a whisper, gasping for air, “ _I wanna cum with you_!”

Beca doesn’t need telling twice, and Chloe watches with desire as her best friend quickly scrambles up her body, struggling slightly due to the leather pants now around her ankles. She feels Beca’s cock nudging at her crotch, and watches as the brunette struggles but eventually succeeds in pulling her tight white dress up over her hips.

There’s a pause as the two best friends look into each other’s eyes, breathless and yearning, full of sexual desire. Chloe’s pussy throbs and she feels Beca pulsing against her clit. Neither think about backing out now.

Chloe shoots her hands up to Beca’s face, tugging her down for a heavy kiss which Beca happily reciprocates, their tongues lapping noisily at the insides of one another’s mouths. Beca’s right hand keeps her upper body up over the woman while the other hand takes hold of her dick and fumbles to find the entrance of Chloe’s wet pussy.

Eventually the brunette succeeds, and with an almighty moan from both Beca and Chloe alike, she slips entirely into Chloe, collapsing on top of her and freezing while she gets adjusted to the sensation. Chloe feels Beca’s warm breath in her ear and is amazed at how full and comfortable she feels with her best friend inside of her.

“ _Fuck_.” is all Chloe hears Beca grunt, and she can’t help but grin. Because while this isn’t an _exact_ scenario she’d imagined them doing, back when she daydreamed a lot in college, she _had_ imagined what it’d be like to have Beca panting and moaning in her ear while they pleasured one another.

Chloe lets out a long drawn out moan as Beca slowly begins to rock her hips, drawing her dick out a little way then slipping it all the way in again. She opens her eyes as the woman props her upper body up to help with the angle, and her heart begins to swell at the sight of Beca Mitchell looking down at her with a lustful expression.

With every thrust forward, Chloe feels her orgasm build again, and her hands wind their way down to grip Beca’s bare ass cheeks, encouraging the woman’s movements. And Beca responds by picking up speed, panting heavily.

It’s not long before Beca is bringing her mouth to Chloe’s ear, muttering how she’s ‘close’, and Chloe’s eyes drift closed. Because she’s close too. Close to what she suspects is going to be the best orgasm of her life.

“Me too.” she mumbles in return, and she brings her right hand down between then to find her clit. She sees Beca look down their bodies, a grin sweeping on both their faces while they watch Beca pump in and out of Chloe while Chloe stimulates her sensitive clit.

Chloe finds the tipping point of her orgasm and manages to hold it on the edge, looking up into Beca’s eyes, trying to read her expression to see if the woman is ready to cum. Beca’s face is serious, and she looks as though she’s holding back somehow.

“I’m there.” Chloe gushes, somehow breathless too, “Just say when-”

But she’s given no time to even properly finish her sentence before Beca calls out “WHEN!” and Chloe mashes her fingers on her clit, the wave of sexual relief finally crashing over her body. She cries out a loud sexual moan, her head neck and shoulders involuntarily lifting from the ground. And at the very same time Beca’s eyes roll into the back of her head, a huge sexual moan leaving her own open mouth, while her hips still, her Sim cock pulsing and unloading inside of Chloe.

Beca collapses on top of Chloe, both panting heavily while Beca grunts a few times, her hips twitching. Then as their breathing steadies, the ‘reality’ of what they’ve just done begins to sink in. Chloe’s eyes are closed, her arms now feeling heavy above her head on the bathroom floor, and she feels Beca reach between them. The second Beca pulls out of Chloe they both let out whimpers, already involuntarily missing one another. And Chloe opens her eyes just as Beca rolls off her body with a groan, and lays on the floor beside her.

They both let out heavy sighs, their breathing finally becoming steady. Chloe pulls her dress back across her boobs while Beca reaches down with a wince and tugs her leather pants back up, tucking her dick inside once again. They stare at the ceiling for a few moments, in a state of shock. Then Chloe finally breaks the silence:

“I need a fucking shot.”

She struggles to look at Beca as they both get to their feet and arrange their clothing so they look mildly presentable - though there really is no need, they‘re still in a virtual reality. Almost anything goes, as Beca’s already proved.

Once ready, Chloe leads the way, unlocking the bathroom door and wandering back through the crowd of blurred faces, over the dance floor, and across to the bar. There’s a knot in her stomach but this time it’s different. It’s not a knot of desire. It’s a knot of _guilt_.

She knows Beca is somewhere behind her. They’re not holding hands but Chloe just knows. As though they’re connected or something. And as she arrives at the bar, she’s not surprised when Beca arrives beside her shortly after.

“Two Bohemian Rhapsody’s” Chloe orders with the barman in a blank tone, then looks out at the dance floor. She feels Beca’s eyes on her. But she doesn’t quite know how to possibly talk about what they’ve just done. She can still taste Beca on her tongue. Can still feel the light weight of her body on her own. She can still remember the lust she felt for the woman from their first touch of the night through to the second Beca had rolled off her moments ago.

The shots arrive and Chloe knocks one back immediately before blurting at Beca:

“I’m not gonna get pregnant am I?”

Beca’s eyebrows rise, having just knocked her own shot back, and she looks amused by the assumption.

“What? No.”

But Chloe can feel Beca’s cum oozing from within her and slowly sliding down her inner thigh and she thinks back to all the times she had her Sims ‘make babies’ whenever she’d played Sims 2. Admittedly it had never been on the floor of a nightclub bathroom. But still…

“It’s just you came in me and, while I’m here, I’m in my twenties - my fertile prime - and it’d be just our luck that our first time doing it I fall pregnant and-”

“-It’s not real life, Chloe.” Beca quickly interjects in an amused tone, motioning to the barman without looking away from the redhead, “I control what can happen in the game. If you want to get pregnant with my baby in this virtual reality world then I can totes make it happen. But if you don’t want to then I can make sure that _doesn’t_ happen. You make the decisions.”

Chloe immediately takes another shot the second it’s available, and it’s not long until she makes her decision:

“Definitely not.” she blurts, ignoring the way Beca’s smile drops, “No, this-“ she says, motioning between them, “-can’t happen again.”

“Chloe-“

“I’m _married_ , Beca. I’ve just cheated on my husband with _my_ _best friend_. In a video game!” Chloe knows she’s getting shrill but she’s beginning to panic. Panic that’s setting in the more aware she is of Beca’s ‘semen’ running down the inside of her leg. Panic that’s increasing as the alcohol from the strong shots begin to affect her body, “I’ve got to face him tonight knowing that he’s no longer the person I class as having ‘the best sex of my life’ with!”

Beca feels secretly elated that she’s now taken that title. But the elation is short lived.

“I-I’ve gotta get out of here.” Chloe says suddenly, and Beca lunges forward to try to calm her.

“Chloe, wait-”

“-DON’T come after me in the real world.” Chloe warns in a threatening tone, and without any further hesitation, she calls out, “Game Over!” before clapping her hands once and disappearing on the spot.

Chloe opens her eyes, startling back to reality, breathing heavily. She swallows loudly, surprised that her throat doesn’t ache. Then she remembers that what happens in the game remains in the game. She hadn’t given Beca a blowjob in real life.

The moisture between her legs is heavy and sticky however, but as Chloe eases herself off the couch and stares down at the pyjamas she’s wearing, she knows the cum is all her. She turns the game console off, removes the VRX charm from her forehead, and packs it all away at the back of a cupboard.

As she stares at the cupboard, she drinks the rest of her glass of wine in one go. That game needs to stay in the cupboard. Out of sight out of mind. She is never going back to it ever again.


	3. Chapter 3

“So,” Chicago begins, and Chloe knows that tone. She’s been stood staring at the bathroom mirror of their en-suite for three whole minutes now. The boys had returned from the movies only twenty minutes after Chloe had exited the VRX game.

“You had a good night to yourself. Feeling all relaxed.” he’s reeling off what she told him but on the contrary she feels the opposite. Yes she had a good night _in the moment_ , but now she feels awful. She watches as he approaches her with a kind, yet aroused expression.

“Why don’t I help you relax even more?”

As Chicago wraps his arms around her waist, ready to place gentle kisses on her neck, Chloe squirms out of his hold. And, naturally, Chicago is confused. Surprised. Worried. Because Chloe has never said no to his advances before. In fact she’s almost _always_ the one who initiates sex. Chloe _loves_ sex.

But Chloe doesn’t love sex at the moment. And technically she only had sex an hour ago, with Beca, in their VRX game. Sex for the first time with Beca.

Chloe swallows loudly, worried that if she thinks back to that experience that her husband will be able to read her mind. So she begins walking out of the bathroom and through to their bed.

“I’m just really tired.” she explains. And fortunately Chicago takes it as a good enough answer. Because she _has_ been really tired this week.

As the lights go out, Chloe stares at the ceiling. Her hand reaches for her breast, slowly stimulating the nipple above the material of her pyjama top. And the images of all that she’d done and felt with Beca tonight replays in her mind, projected onto the dark ceiling. She is _really_ going to struggle to sleep tonight.

—

“I’ve invited a couple of people over for dinner tonight.” Chicago says as he enters the kitchen, placing a peck on Chloe’s cheek while he accepts a plate of homemade pancakes.

“Oh?” Chloe says, surprised by the short notice, “People from work?”

“One of them is.” Chicago answers mysteriously, tucking into his breakfast now he’s sat at the table.

Chloe busies herself making packups for their sons to take to school. She doesn’t see the way Chicago looks at her with a concerned expression. Chloe’s not been herself for almost seven weeks now, and Chicago has definitely noticed a change. She is quieter and more reserved. She is unaffectionate and cold. She is fast becoming far from the woman he marred.

“Hey, maybe tonight once they’ve gone we could… _you_ _know_ …maybe spice things up in the bedroom?”

Chloe scrunches her nose up while looking down at the fruit she’s trying to pack. The last time she’d had sex with _anyone_ , it had been with Beca in that VRX world on ‘Sims X’. Seven weeks ago. Since then she struggles to even muster giving Chicago a kiss on the cheek, such is the weight of her guilt.

“Maybe.” she replies, but they both know that response means ‘No’.

Their sons sweep into the kitchen and begin collecting their packups, parents forcing smiles while the kids chat animatedly about the day ahead they have. Chloe watches the men in her life, detached and distant, upset that she still holds this huge disturbing secret that’ll turn their world upside down should they ever find out about her ‘one night stand’ with Beca.

Eventually they finish their breakfasts and head for the front door. Chloe hesitates awkwardly when Chicago leans down to kiss her, and she offers her cheek. He pauses then kisses her directly on the cheek.

“See you at dinner.” He says in a quiet sad voice, “Guests arrive at 7.”

Chloe watches, her heart breaking, as her husband leaves the room with his shoulders slumped. She is the worst wife ever, and she isn’t getting any better.

—

“Your work colleague.” Chloe begins, while she sets the table for four people, “Who’s coming tonight…” she looks through the door to the kitchen to see Chicago hovering around a bowl of chips, “…it’s not Aubrey is it?”

Chicago notices that she’s spotted him just as he slides a nacho cheese chip into him mouth and immediately steps away from the bowl like a guilty school boy. He shrugs with a knowing smile, but a small amused smile appears on Chloe’s mouth.

“I saw Aubrey earlier at the PTA meeting. She told me she’s coming tonight.”

Chicago practically chokes at her words, clearing his throat of chip remnants before blurting, “She did?”

“Well I asked her. She’s the only person we know who’s gluten free.” Chloe motions to the gluten free food she prepared earlier following Chicago’s text, “And you work with her at the retreat so…I figured it was probably her.” she places a hand on Chicago’s shoulder as he lets out a sigh.

“She’s my best friend, babe.” Chloe adds with a sympathetic expression, “We tell each other everything!”

And she lets out a chuckle, completely missing the colour that drains from her husband’s face. The doorbell chimes, and the redhead heads to the front door with a relaxed smile on her face, excited to see Aubrey properly outside of the PTA since her birthday a few months ago. She’s closely followed by her husband, clearing his throat of a lingering piece of chip.

Chloe’s heart jumps into her throat as she opens the door and sees Beca stood awkwardly on the doorstep, pie in hand. The smile on Beca’s face is fake - the one she uses when she stands before photographers on a red carpet. And Chloe notices how forced it is, but fortunately Chicago doesn’t.

“Um _hey_!” Beca says, as though it’s a big surprise to herself that she’s here. And Chloe’s stomach plummets as she watches her husband lean forward and give Beca a hug of greeting.

“Thanks so much for making it Beca!” he says, but Chloe’s eyes catch Beca’s as the brunette looks over his shoulder mid-hug to stare back at her.

“Are you kidding?” Beca says, pulling out of the hug and holding out the pie, still maintaining Chloe’s eye contact, “When you said Chloe needed cheering up I organised the first flight out here.”

Chloe is rooted to the spot, taking in the sight of Beca for the first time in weeks. Though technically it hadn’t been Beca, it’d been Beca’s Sim. Beca’s Sim that’d been thirteen years younger than the woman stood before her now. And even though it had been a virtual reality, Chloe still finds that her heart beats a little faster at the sight of her best friend stood before her now. Because beyond it all and the duty she has being a wife to her husband, Chloe is still secretly crazy about Beca - though she is trying her hardest to quash it back down deep so she doesn’t have to address it. So she doesn’t have to face the fact that she and Beca had had sex in their virtual reality world seven weeks ago.

“Aren’t you gonna say hi, honey?” Chicago asks his wife and Chloe jumps at his use of pet-name, then jolts forward with her arms open.

“Of course - um…” and Beca and Chloe conduct an odd hug as they attempt to navigate around the blueberry pie in Beca’s hands. Eventually Chicago takes it with a chuckle, and the two best friends share a brief awkward hug. The second Beca’s arms are around her, Chloe has a flashback to their sensual dance on the dance floor at Juniperos a few weeks back, and she abruptly pulls from the hug.

“Come in.” she says, knowing how good her husband is at small talk. Anything to detract from the intensity of Beca’s stare. And the brunette obliges, following Chloe through to the lounge while Chicago closes the door behind them.

“Drink Beca?” the man asks, taking the pie from her as she perches on the edge of the armchair.

“Um yeah. A beer. Please.”

Chicago leaves the room, and Beca and Chloe realise they’re alone for a brief couple of moments for the first time since Juniperos. Chloe looks irritated. Beca looks annoyed.

“ _You couldnt tell him no??_ ” Chloe hisses in a low tone, ensuring her husband can’t hear, and Beca rises to her feet.

“ _What else was I supposed to do? I was worried about you and you’ve blocked my number!_ ” she whispers back. But just as Chloe is about to retaliate, Chicago returns to the room with a beer and a smile. Beca and Chloe force smiles onto their faces.

“One beer.” he says, holding the bottle out to Beca, and just as she takes it, the doorbell goes again. “Oop!” he adds, “That’ll be Aubrey. I’ll get it.”

Chloe watches her husband leave and her shoulders slump. At least Aubrey will be here to unintentionally ‘mediate’ this situation. Yes they told each other everything. Normally. But Chloe has really struggled to tell Aubrey about what had happened during her partaking in ‘Sims X’ a couple of months ago. She couldn’t even put it into words in her head, let alone describe it outloud.

“Look, was it the dick?” Beca asks in a low voice and Chloe panics, quickly turning back to her and shushing quietly. Beca raises her eyebrows innocently, keeping her low tone, “Because if it was then I can totally change things back so I have my regular pu-”

But she’s not given the chance to finish her sentence before Chloe interrupts:

“-It wasn’t the dick.” she says in a calmer quiet tone, sighing in slight defeat, thinking back on how good Beca had felt inside her, “The dick was good. _Really_ good.”

“Good. I did a lot of research to work out best length and girth..” Beca mumbles casually and surprisingly it doesn’t make Chloe feel awkward.

“Well you did a good job.” she compliments and there’s a brief pause, neither wondering what was taking Chicago and Aubrey so long.

“I took a pregnancy test.” Chloe says, her cheeks flushing a little with embarrassment, and a small grin pokes on Beca’s face, “I know. Stupid of me to think I might’ve… _you know_ …with _your_ baby…in real life. I mean, you don’t have a… _dick_ , right?”

“Dude no!” Beca mutters with a grin, shaking her head and motioning to her crotch, “No no, it’s just…just a Sims thing.”

They both let out nervous chuckles, swaying slightly on the spot. This was clearly what they’d both needed to clear the air. It’d been a long seven weeks. But Chloe would be lying if, in an odd way, she said she hadn’t missed the brunette. Not necessarily the intensity of the sexual tension - after all it _was_ really good - but the company. Being able to hang out with someone who knows her better than anyone in the world. Even better than her husband.

“I’m sorry I blocked you.” Chloe says softly, “I just needed to clear my head.”

“S’okay. The time did me some good too.” Beca replies kindly, and the two best friends smile gently at one another.

Aubrey and Chicago appear in the doorway, broad smiles on their faces, and Chloe strides over to her oldest friend with a big smile, pulling her into a hug.

“Thank you so much for coming Bree!” Chloe exclaims with genuine joy in her voice and Aubrey chuckles stating it’s no problem at all.

Beca furrows her brow as she sees Aubrey looking over Chloe’s shoulder at Chicago and the two seem to share an intense glance.

Surely not…


	4. Chapter 4

“ _I think there’s something going on between Chicago and Aubrey_!” Beca whispers, leaning towards Chloe the second Aubrey leaves the dining room behind the man, having offered to help him serve up dessert.

Chloe throws her head back to stare at the ceiling with a sigh, trying not to get annoyed. The meal had been going really well so far, and thanks to both Chicago _and_ Aubrey’s ability to hold a good conversation, the four adults hadn’t had a single awkward moment between them.

“ _Are you DESPERATE to create a wedge between me and my husband?_?” Chloe snaps back in a harsh whisper glaring at the brunette sat opposite her.

“ _You’ve already laid the groundwork for that and you know it!_ ” Beca whispers back stubbornly, pointing at the kitchen door, “ _Why don’t you go in there and prove me wrong?_ ”

“ _I don’t NEED to go in there because I TRUST my husband!_ ”

“ _Oh like he trusts you??_ ” Beca counteracts and Chloe hesitates. Because Beca’s right. Chicago _does_ trust her, but he shouldn’t. Perhaps she shouldn’t trust him either..

Before she can decide what she should or shouldn’t do, Aubrey steps back into the room with suspiciously rosie cheeks and a broad smile. And Chloe tries not to notice when her husband also returns to the room shortly after, looking just as flustered and just as happy. They both take a seat at the table with satisfied sighs. Beca and Chloe look from Aubrey and Chicago to each other. And Chloe sees the awkward apologetic look in her best friend’s eyes.

“Umm..weren’t you guys getting the dessert?” Beca asks.

Chicago and Aubrey abruptly rise to their feet with sharp gasps, and quickly scurry out of the room, returning with Beca’s pie, some whipped cream, and some plates in next to no time.

 _That’s_ when things get awkward. And _that’s_ when Chloe begins to worry.

—

Beca’s gone in just over an hour, stating she needs to get a flight back to LA. The hug goodbye that she shares with Chloe isn’t nearly as awkward as their hug of hello when Beca first arrived. If anything Chloe clings a little tighter. And Beca returns the pressure, sharing unspoken communication that everything will be okay, somehow.

Aubrey on the other hand stays for another glass of wine. Then - despite Chicago offering to drive her the 40mins it takes to get back to the retreat where she lives and they both work - Aubrey books an Uber. Chloe watches the whole conversation unfold, sat miserably in her armchair. Yes she’s the one who technically already cheated. But it‘s another thing to see it playing out before her between her husband and one of her oldest dearest friends.

“Thanks so much for dinner Chloe.” Aubrey says as she pulls the redhead in for a hug goodbye once her Uber arrives. Chloe’s never felt so uncomfortable hugging someone in her life. “You two and the boys should come over to the retreat sometime and I can repay the favour.”

As Chloe steps back she decides she doesn’t want to see a hug between her husband and the woman. So instead she takes a few steps towards the staircase, motioning to it with her thumb.

“Speaking of the boys, I’m just gonna check they’re okay.” and she begins to ascend the stairs, looking over her shoulder at Aubrey, “I’ll see you soon though?”

“Yeah of course.” Aubrey agrees, but in a flash she glances up at Chicago who is already smiling at her.

“I’ll walk you to the Uber.” Chloe hears him say once she’s reached the top of the stairs. She hears Aubrey chuckle flirtatiously while the front door opens and Chloe heads away from her sons’ bedrooms, over to her marital bedroom at the front of the house.

She doesn’t switch on the light and creeps over to the open window. Her heart lurches against her chest as she hears her husband say in a low voice:

“Sorry I came so quick. It’s been a long time since me and Chloe-”

“-Hey it’s okay.” Aubrey appears to assure, and Chloe peers over the window-ledge to see the woman leaning back against the wall of the house, in a position they must assume is out of Chloe’s sight, “We didn’t exactly have much time between dinner and dessert. Plus it’s nice to finally…you know…after so long.”

So long? What does that even mean? Chloe’s heartbroken and stunned all at the same time. Feelings that strengthen as she watches her husband lean down and place a long kiss on Aubrey’s lips. She watches as the blonde wraps her arms around Chicago’s waist, giving his ass a little squeeze while she kisses him back.

“Stay at mine tomorrow night?” Aubrey asks in an affectionate tone, nudging Chicago’s nose with her own, “The boys are at their dad’s for the weekend. We won’t have to _rush_ anything.”

Chloe’s about to sob but collects herself enough to hear her husband reply quietly:

“What do I tell Chloe? I can’t just _not_ come home all night.”

“Tell her it’s a mandatory bonding night at the retreat. Overnight. All employees have to go.” Aubrey mumbles and Chicago’s eyes light up.

“And will _we_ be bonding?”

“Oh believe me,” Aubrey purrs, “we’ll be doing _more_ than bonding.”

Chloe watches as the blonde steps out of Chicago’s arms, reaches down to smooth the palm of her hand across his crotch with a seductive smile, then walk away towards the Uber that waits for her outside the house. Chicago watches Aubrey leave with a shit-eating grin, then adjusts the hard-on in his pants a little, while clearing his throat.

Chloe steps back from the open window and takes a deep breath to try to calm herself down. Oh God, this is the worst. And swiping a rogue tear from her cheek, she dashes out of the bedroom with enough time to check in on her sons before her husband realises she’s heard everything said and shared between him and his ‘mistress’ just now.

—

Chloe struggles to look at her husband by the time they go to bed. Washing up after dinner had been done in silence, the couple’s minds both on the thought of Chicago and Aubrey having sex. Chloe having no idea where they’d done it but Chicago knowing exactly where and in what position. Chloe swears she even saw him grin during a daydream he was having at one point.

“Did you fancy having sex?” Chloe suggests from the en-suite for the first time in a few months, but her husband lets out a heavy sigh as he slips beneath the bedcovers.

“Not tonight honey. I’m really tired.”

‘ _Tired from fucking Aubrey in our kitchen this evening_ ’ Chloe thinks angrily while she walks through to the bed. But she doesn’t say anything. Instead the lights go out in the bedroom and she stares up at the ceiling. She doesn’t really know how to feel. The offer of sex had been a test, but she wouldn’t have been able to go through with it knowing that a couple of hours earlier her husband had been doing the very same thing with her friend too.

Chloe shudders at the thought.

Before long she hears the heavy breathing of her husband, fast asleep. And she knows Chicago. She knows he won’t wake for anything until the morning.

So Chloe slips quietly out of bed, downstairs to the lounge, and pulls her VRX console out of the cupboard, placing the game into the device, connecting the controller, then placing the VRX charm on her temple.

She quickly sends a text from her phone:

**I need to speak to you asap - Brooklyn x**

And Chloe sits back, closes her eyes, and presses the green button on the controller.


	5. Chapter 5

Chloe pings into the Brooklyn apartment, half expecting Beca to be there, but the studio apartment is empty. Chloe is feeling agitated. She paces, dressed again in the tight fitting short white dress she’d worn in her last visit to this game a couple of months ago, having had no time to change her Sim’s outfit before entering the game just now. She kicks her heels off and toys with the idea of picking them up and throwing them out the window such is her anger.

Beca suddenly * _pops*_ into the apartment, dressed in casual pyjamas, looking concerned.

“What’s happened?”

But Chloe doesn’t answer, instead striding over to the brunette, and grabbing her tight, kissing her firmly. Beca seems to get the idea, quickly wrapping her arms around her and slipping her tongue quickly into Chloe’s mouth as they both take a deep shuddering breath.

Chloe’s hands move down to Beca’s crotch, and upon feeling her hard-on throbbing, decides she doesn’t want to take things slow. No matter how much time they might have.

“I need a quick fuck.” Chloe mumbles against Beca’s lips, and a growl rumbles from the back of the brunette’s throat.

Beca pushes Chloe by her hips, swivelling the woman around until Chloe reaches the kitchen table, and bends her over. Chloe pants quickly, desperate for sexual relief and to churn out this frustration bubbling away inside her. Fortunately Beca doesn’t keep her waiting.

The brunette is swift to tug Chloe’s short dress up, and pulls her cock out from her pyjama pants, then quickly pushes it inside Chloe’s wet pussy. There’s no pause like last time, neither necessarily needing to elongate this experience, and Beca immediately thrusts herself in and out of Chloe. They both moan loudly with pleasure, Chloe bending over until she’s laying her entire upper body across the table, gripping the edges while she jolts with every hard thrust Beca performs.

“Want me to wait for you to cum?” Beca breaths into Chloe’s ear, and Chloe’s eyes close at the feel of Beca’s upper body spread on top of her, causing the table the shift with every new thrust. Her body feels close to cumming, and a lazy smile swings onto her face.

“No.” she manages to choke out, “This is what I needed.”

After placing a kiss on Chloe’s neck, Beca stands herself back up again, grabs Chloe’s hips, and speeds up her fucking until suddenly the brunette stops to let out a huge roar of sexual pleasure. Chloe feels Beca twitch inside her, filling her up once again. And her body goes floppy as she relishes the relief she’s finally been given within a matter of minutes.

The apartment is silent once again, save for the heavy breathing from both women and Chloe smiles to herself once again when she feels Beca collapse slightly on top of her, the woman’s forehead resting on her upper back while they both try to compose themselves.

Chloe feels her best friend stand upright again with a huge sigh of relief, Beca’s hands whisping over her back several times with no real purpose or direction. And as Beca slips out of her, Chloe stands up straight, pushing her hair back from her face breathlessly while Beca pulls her pyjama pants up, taking several long heavy exhales, clearly trying to regulate her breathing.

“You saw them together.” Beca eventually says while Chloe pulls her dress down over her ass. “Didn’t you.”

“They fucked in the kitchen instead of getting dessert.” Chloe confirms, wandering over to the pull-out bed and collapsing onto it with a heavy sigh. To say it outloud leaves Chloe feeling weirdly sad. As though she is announcing the end of her marriage. Perhaps it is. After all, tomorrow her husband goes out to spend the night with the woman he’s been screwing, while Chloe is sat here in the virtual reality world with the woman _she’s_ been screwing. It’s messed up.

Beca doesn’t reply, and Chloe’s pleased that she doesn’t. Instead the brunette wanders over to the bed and lies back on it beside her. Both stare at the ceiling of the apartment they remember so well, enjoying being in their younger bodies even if it _was_ as Sims.

“I don’t get why I’m so annoyed about it, you know?” Chloe begins conversationally, and fortunately Beca knows her well enough to let her continue rambling, “ _I’m_ the one who cheated first - not that he knows that. _I’m_ the one who said no every time he suggested we have sex because I was so hung up on my first time with you. _I’m_ the one who pushed him into Aubrey’s arms.” and her brow furrows as she turns her head to look at Beca, “Are you not going to disagree with me??”

A chuckle falls from Beca’s mouth as she turns to look back at Chloe, “No.” she replies honestly, “Because I don’t disagree with you. You _did_ cheat first. So technically you _did_ point him in Aubrey’s direction.”

Chloe turns to look back at the ceiling with a heavy sigh, both hating and loving that Beca always has had the balls to disagree with her when it matters. And Beca continues, this time as a ramble of her own:

“I mean _Aubrey_? _Seriously_?? The woman’s had three husbands in ten years and a son with each and you thought that Chicago working so closely with her at the lodge _wouldn’t_ result in them having an affair?”

Her voice is playful and it’s what entices a small embarrassed smile to spread across Chloe’s face.

“Don’t get me wrong,” Beca adds, “he’s the luckiest guy on the planet to be married to you and have kids with you. The best of us wishes we’re that lucky.”

“To have someone like me?”

“To _have_ you.”

Chloe looks back over at Beca and the brunette is already looking at her with a sad expression. She reaches out to briefly take Beca’s hand and give it a squeeze.

“You _do_ have me.” she offers but Beca shakes her head, turning on her side to face Chloe while Chloe does the same to face Beca. They look into each other’s eyes while the brief silence settles around them.

Chloe notes the way the summer sunlight drifts through the small window at the head of the bed, highlighting Beca’s features. She _could_ remind herself that none of this is real. That back in the real world it’s a chilly October night in Atlanta in the year 2030, not a fresh summers morning in Brooklyn in 2017. This is all virtual reality, but Chloe feels so at home here that she chooses to ignore that fact for the time being. She remains in the moment instead, staring at Beca and all her beauty. Every bit as beautiful in this VR world then she remembers her being thirteen years ago.

“Right now, I’m sat on my own in my massive empty home in LA.” Beca says, “Tonight was the first time I’d seen you in person in a few months, and only the second time this year. Before that we hadn’t seen each other in over four years.” Chloe watches as her best friend lets out a heavy sad sigh, “I get so lonely in the real world. Lonely because I’m not around you.” Tears start to shine in Beca’s eyes and Chloe feels guilty. She should’ve tried harder to contact Beca over the years. “I just wish I could’ve done more for you. More so that you would’ve chosen me instead.” Beca says finally.

“You _have_ done more for me.” Chloe insists with an affectionate look on her face, “Beca, you’ve recreated a world that we loved in our twenties, which we can enjoy together whenever we like!” As Chloe speaks, a smile grows on Beca’s face, the two taking each other’s hand and holding it between them on the bed, “I’m in my hot 27 year old body again instead of my saggy post-baby 40 year old body! I’m here with my very best friend who thinks the world of me just like I think the world of her! And _we have sex_! I mean, yeah I’m married and none of this is morally right but…Beca I’m _happy_! You’ve made me and are making me _so_ _happy_ here!”

Chloe’s hand cups Beca’s cheek, still in awe that they’re together on their fold-out bed in their tiny studio apartment in Brooklyn. And as she squeezes her thighs together she’s still in awe that Beca has filled her with cum. Beca having a ‘functioning dick’ in this VR world was an example of modern technology that truly was pushing the limits of what could be done. But Chloe wasn’t complaining in the slightest.

“Wanna know what I thought when I saw you tonight?” Beca asks, fiddling with a button on Chloe’s white dress while looking into the redheads eyes, “I thought how beautiful you looked. How hot your body was. How well you’d aged.”

Chloe rolls her eyes, blushing then raising her eyebrows seriously, “All the hot people you’re surrounded by every day and you thought _I_ was hot??”

And Beca lets out a chuckle, “I can’t believe you don’t see it.”

“Oh I see just fine!” Chloe insists, “I look in the mirror and see a 40 year old loser who put on weight during and after both her pregnancies and now has to shop at in the middle of the clothes rails at Target to find something that _might_ fit her. A 40 year old loser who looks so hideous her husband has secretly moved on to his far more attractive and slimmer coworker. A 40 year old loser who has to step into a virtual reality game to feel beautiful, and that’s only because in the game she’s in her twenties again.”

“You nearly died during both births of your babies, Chloe.” Beca replies seriously, “So what if you gained a few pounds over the years? At least you’re alive. And you’re not only alive, you’re still _so_ beautiful.”

Chloe looks down at her hands that have taken hold of the hem of Beca’s pyjama shirt at some point and grips it gently. Beca is saying some of the nicest things Chloe’s ever heard anyone say about her in recent years and she wishes they could spend more time like this. Intimate time..

“Chicago’s out at Aubrey’s overnight tomorrow night. If I pack the boys off to my Mom’s…we could always meet here again and spend the night chilling together?”

It’s a risky suggestion. It suggests that things are now getting a little more serious between them. Or rather, serious between them in their VR world. Chloe’s suggesting they spend the whole night together. She’s suggesting this thing is more than a quick fuck or a hot night out.

“I’ve got a show in New York tomorrow night, but I’ll be done and back at my hotel by 11pm? Same time difference…” Beca says, a calm smile on her face, and Chloe smiles in return.

“Did you wanna meet here?” Chloe asks, and Beca shrugs, shifting her body - hips first - closer to the redhead.

“We can meet wherever you like.” She says, drawing her fingertips up and down Chloe’s bare arm, “This is virtual reality remember? Sims X. I can create anything in the world for us.”

Chloe’s eyebrows rise, but her voice remains soft as she looks at Beca affectionately, “Goodness. I’ve no idea.”

“Well…” Beca says, pausing while she musters the confidence to ask Chloe a very personal question, “…what have you fantasised us doing? If you’ve fantasised at all.”

Chloe tugs her bottom lip between her teeth and she feels Beca’s chest rising and falling against hers while they lay beside one another. She’s fantasised about _a lot_ over the years. All of which ended with her and Beca either coming together in a passionate embrace, kissing madly having fallen in love. Or it ending with them having incredible sex and living happily ever after. Either way, she and Beca were ‘endgame’.

“My bedroom at Barden. Around your Junior Year - when my hair was my favourite length?” Chloe describes, thinking back on how long and perfect her hair had been, almost down to the small of her back. “It’s nighttime. Around midnight. And I’m laying in bed, trying to sleep. It’s summer and there’s rumbling thunder threatening a storm outside. My window’s open to let the breeze in. It’s warm. Then suddenly you creep into my room. You sneak under my bedcovers. It’s the first time we’ve been this close so you’re nervous. We chat for a little bit. Then you lean over and kiss me gently. You seem nervous when you touch me. I’m nervous when I touch you. We look into each other’s eyes, worried that the other night change their minds. But we don’t. We kiss a bit more passionately. Our hands start to explore. Then our lips and tongues start to explore. We slowly take each other’s clothes off. You go down on me. I cum. I go down on you. You cum. Then we cum together in each other’s arms. We hold each other, kissing gently. Then we fall asleep.”

Chloe pauses and Beca’s mouth is hung open, clearly aroused by the thorough description. Beca clears her throat, croaking out a low “Wow” but Chloe’s not finished.

“We wake up naked together the next morning. The storm has passed. The breeze is still light and drifting through my open window. The morning sunlight with it. And we’re both drowsy yet horny and your fingers slip into me while I’m still sleepy. You kiss me everywhere and I cum. You lay back and I snuggle into you. We fall back to sleep. We stir again and this time I’m the one to kiss you everywhere and make you cum. We fall back to sleep in each other’s arms.”

The idea of it all has both Beca and Chloe throbbing with arousal. Almost as though this is some sort of foreplay.

“Eventually we wake again and decide we’re hungry so we go down to the kitchen in oversizes t-shirts. We make brunch, stealing kisses, touching, and on the verge of sex so many times. Eventually we have sex in the kitchen. It’s messy.”

Beca’s eyes light up at the word ‘messy’ and it has Chloe’s stomach knotting in desire. Beca’s fingers are now skimming delicately up and down her outer-thigh, and Chloe’s fingers twirl one of the buttons on the front of Beca’s pyjama top.

“We shower… _together_. Then go back to bed. One last round of sex then we fall back to sleep. Naked. Wrapped around each other. Exhausted but happy.”

The air between them is now thick with sexual desire and they find tiny scraps of self control while they try to finish this conversation.

“Questions.” Beca croaks, and Chloe nods while she successfully undoes the button she’s been playing with.

“Dick or pussy?”

The question is a little vague but Chloe knows Beca is asking her how she’d like Beca’s Sim to be. And while all of her fantasies had been of Beca having a pussy, Chloe hadn’t minded Beca having a dick.

“Up to you.” Chloe says, casually swinging her leg over Beca’s hip so that her dress rides up a little, “I wouldn’t know where to begin with a pussy though.”

Beca, whose hand has slipped up the back of Chloe’s dress, now smooths her fingertips over Chloe’s bare ass cheek, digging her fingernails in from time to time to add a satisfying scratch.

“It’s not too difficult if you know how to pleasure yourself.” she explains, feeling warm moisture soaking into the leg of her pyjama pants and realising it’s from their quick fuck earlier: a mix of her cum and Chloe’s cum oozing from Chloe’s pussy into the fabric. The air around them smells of sex and it intensifies their arousals. “But I do enjoy cumming _in_ you.” Beca adds with a mumble, her nose now nudging Chloe’s.

Chloe hums in agreement, her fingers having managed to undo another button. Their warm breath washing from their mouths over their skin. Chloe feels Beca’s hard-on throbbing against her leg and she already decides she’s not ready to return to the real world yet. Just one more screw…

“What was the other question?” She mumbles, slowly shifting her body onto Beca’s, pushing the woman onto her back and straddling her hips. As she rocks her hips up and down, she rubs their juices from her pussy along the fabric covering Beca’s dick. And she delights in feeling it twitch.

Beca’s hands smooth up the back of Chloe’s bare thighs, riding the dress up as she goes, and they still for a moment flush on Chloe’s ass cheeks. She leans up slightly as Chloe leans down and they nuzzle at the crook of each other’s nose, their lips whisping over the others teasingly.

“I can’t remember.” Beca mumbles back, her hands decending once again, but instead of falling down the backs of Chloe’s thighs, they creep inwards. Chloe’s eyes flutter closed and she lets out a small moan when she feels the tips of Beca’s fingers coating themselves in the mixture of cum.

Their mouths come together gently, sensually, in a deep kiss. And as they inhale deeply through their noses, Beca manages to shift the waistband of her pants down to release her hard-on. When she starts rubbing it up and down the outside of Chloe’s pussy, coating it in their juices, both women let out moans into the kiss.

Then suddenly Beca slowly slips it into Chloe’s pussy, and their kiss breaks so they can both let out a long groan. Chloe begins rocking her hips, sliding up and down Beca’s length. And their sexual activity begins again, this time at a far slower rate than it had done before..


	6. Chapter 6

The hot water from the shower continues to fall over Chloe’s body and her eyes remain closed, making the most of the way the heat seems to cleanse her of her sins. At least, that’s what she’s convincing herself it does.

She leans out of the torrent of water, wiping her eyes with the palm of her hand, and stares at the wall of the shower. Memories from the game she’s just ended with Beca flash up in her mind. Being on top had brought a whole new set of sensations, along with a change in dominance - Chloe being on top meaning she could tease Beca from time to time by slowing down and/or rolling her hips. It had driven the brunette wild and eventually Chloe’s pussy in the VR world was filled once again.

Chloe reaches for the removable shower head, and brings it down between her legs. Her eyes flutter closed as the hot spray of water stimulates her body once again.

When she’d exited the game a little while ago, she’d found she was wetter than she’d ever been post-Sims X. So wet in fact, that she’d had to go straight back upstairs and have a shower to refresh and reset herself.

Chloe does, however, find that she feels more relaxed then she had when she’d first entered the game. It’s amazing what virtual sex and a good heart-to-heart can do for one’s body and mind.

Eventually Chloe gets tired and bored and decides to go to bed. So she steps out of the shower, tugs her shower cap off, and runs a towel over her body with a yawn. Upon entering her marital bedroom, Chloe notices her husband’s face lit by the screen of his phone. The screen that is quickly locked when Chicago realises she’s back in the room.

“Bit late for a shower.” He says while Chloe wanders to her bedside table and switches on the lamp. His phone buzzes and both their eyes are drawn to the sight of a notification showing that someone has texted him.

“Bit late for a text.” Chloe counteracts, knowing exactly who is texting her husband at 2am. She heads for her closet, pulling open the door and looking at her naked reflection in the long mirror.

Chloe tries to remind herself of the compliments Beca gave her earlier. About how beautiful she is and how hot her body looks even though she’s now 40. But as she looks over at her husband through the mirror her heart drops. Because he’s smiling at his phone, clearly having read the message he’d just received. Chloe looks back at herself and down the length of her body, knowing that if Beca was here she would be wrapping her arms around her in an instant. Chloe hates her body as it is now, and she smooths her hands over and under her stomach, and around to her hips.

“Who’s texting you so late?” She asks after snapping out of her funk and bending over to pick out some pyjamas.

“Um…” Chicago starts but doesn’t continue until he’s written and sent another text, then he looks back up at his wife, “huh?”

“Who’s texting you at 2am on a Thursday night?”

She watches as her husband places his phone on his bedside table, screen down, and shuffles back down into the bed with his back to her.

“It’s just Aubrey texting about work stuff. She’s reminded me there’s an employee’s bonding night overnight tomorrow at the retreat. It’s mandatory. Sorry I haven’t say anything until now. I forgot.”

Chloe tries her hardest not to yell at him. Not to blow the cover and accuse him of cheating. Because little over an hour ago _Chloe_ had been the one cheating on him, in a VRX world, with Beca. Confronting Chicago would mean him probably not going to Aubrey’s tomorrow night. And if he didn’t go then Chloe wouldn’t have the house to herself and she wouldn’t be able to meet up with Beca in their VR world.

“What time will you be going?” She asks as she slides into bed.

“Just after lunch.” he replies while Chloe switches the lamp off. She settles in bed, her back turned to her husband and her chest feels tight when the sound of a buzz meets the sight of his side of the room lighting up a bit.

“Dyou mind putting your phone all the way on silent?” She asks, and she hears Chicago hum in confirmation that he will do so.

She stares at the wall for ages, the light from her husband’s phone not going off once, and the soft almost silent sound of the pads of his thumbs dancing across the screen at intervals, whenever he texts Aubrey back. And he doesn’t stop. So before long Chloe falls asleep.

—

“I’ll be back around lunchtime tomorrow.” Chicago says as he gathers his freshly filled water bottle from the side of the kitchen.

Chloe - who is sat at the kitchen table eating some soup - furrows her brow:

“Oh, I thought you said you weren’t back until dinner time tomorrow?”

She’s lying. He never said that. But Chicago is knee deep in lies such is the intensity of his affair, that his eyebrows rise and he clears his throat awkwardly.

“Oh um, yeah, I forgot.”

“You seem to be forgetting a lot of details about this overnight stay.” she challenges, enjoying watching her husband squirm, “Which wouldn’t be weird if Aubrey _hadn’t_ been texting you about it after 2am last night..”

Chloe knows it’s a risky comment, but it makes her feel better, and she watches as her husband clears his throat nervously again, before chucking his rucksack over his shoulder.

“Make sure you stay protected.” She adds seriously, clearly insinuating that he should use a condom.

“Uh wh-what??”

“For the bears.” She says innocently, but to her delight Chicago seems to shuffle awkwardly on the spot.

“Right, yeah.” He says, then begins making his way slowly out of the kitchen, looking at her one last time, “I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

“Have a good time.”

—

Chloe lets out a long steady sigh, sitting back in her large marital bed. It is weird being home alone. But exciting. Exciting because she is about to embark on an ‘all nighter’ on Sims X with Beca.

All doors and windows are locked with no risk of burglars or her husband coming home unannounced and finding her. And as per Beca’s instructions, Chloe has not only set up the VRX console in her bedroom - the console miraculously hooking up to the old tv they have in the room - but she’s also ensured that her Sim, once entering the game, will look like she did in her penultimate year of college. Long flowing hair to-boot.

**Ready when you are 😏 x**

Is the text Chloe suddenly receives from Beca, and her heart skips a beat. She has no idea what Beca has lined up for her, but she has her suspicions. Chloe exhales, ensures she’s comfortable laying back on her pillow, closes her eyes, and presses the green button.


	7. Chapter 7

Chloe jolts ‘awake’ to find herself laying in bed. And yes, while it’s _her_ bed, it’s not her marital bed but her bed from college, in her bedroom from college. A long low rumble of thunder draws her attention and she looks across the dark room to the open window - the wind chime gently tinkling from the warm summer breeze - then over to her digital clock.

00:02. Just after midnight.

She feels up and down her body, noting the short-shorts and pyjama vest that had always been her favourite summer sleeping combo. She also notes her long red hair tied up in a top knot, and her slim body. Her Sim is her 24 year old body with her 40 year old mind. A smile spreads on Chloe’s face and she stretches, almost as if ready for what’s (hopefully) about to happen. Because so far everything she described to Beca yesterday is on point - again a tribute to the woman’s impeccable eye for detail.

Chloe hears her bedroom door creak open then closed and sees the silhouette of a familiar petite figure creep into the room. Her heart is bounding when Beca pulls back part of the bedcovers and slides into bed beside her.

They lay in silence, looking up at the ceiling, both excited to finally be together again even though it’s only been a day. Excited because they really don’t need to rush anything. Chloe’s husband isn’t home until early evening tomorrow and Beca’s managed to block much of her tomorrow out with strict orders for her assistant and security to not let anyone disturb her.

“How was your day?” Beca asks conversationally, and Chloe shrugs.

“It was okay I guess.” she replies, “Chicago was texting Aubrey most of the night so he was pretty sleepy all morning.”

“He told you he was texting her??”

“Well not until 2am when I asked him who was texting him so late at night. That was when he told me he had that ‘employees bonding night’ at the retreat.” Chloe finishes with a sigh, smiling slightly at the way Beca whispers “ _Jee_ -sus!” under her breath.

“How was _your_ day?” is Chloe’s question to Beca, and this time it’s the brunettes turn to shrug.

“Meh.” comes the reply, “Flight was delayed due to some classic crap New York winter weather. The show was just another show. I just…constantly found myself thinking about you.”

Chloe smiles at the mention of herself, feeling warm inside. She’s always pleased to know that Beca thinks about her as much as she thinks about Beca.

“Don’t suppose you’ve got any more of those fantasies you could tell me about?” Beca then says with a curious playful tone, and Chloe’s smile broadens.

“You mean one where you and I are at a Trebles party? And we’ve been drinking for ages and suddenly we start feeling the effects and wander through the busy house trying to find a place to secretly make-out and all we successfully find is the closet in some Treble’s bedroom but when I’m halfway through making you cum a group of people walk into that room deciding to hang out in there and I choose not to stop pleasuring you so you end up finding any way possible to cum quietly and not draw people’s attention to the fact that we’ve secretly started seeing each other?”

“Uhuh.” Beca forces out, and although it’s dark, Chloe knows that Beca’s mouth is hung open such is her arousal. Chloe feels victorious already.

“Or a fantasy I had of me visiting you at work when you worked for BFD Records, and us screwing in one of the recording booths?”

“Or me fucking you on the mixing deck?” Beca suggests, and Chloe smiles.

“Or you fucking me on your mixing deck, yeah.”

Her voice has become lower and huskier as she delivers her words slowly, her breathing becoming more rapid while she continues:

“Or maybe I just pop by to see you at work and you’re alone in the studio and you tell me to just chill as you’re nearly done mixing. And the way I chill is by ducking under the desk, pulling down your pants and panties, and licking and sucking you while you work.”

Chloe thinks she hears Beca lick her lips while they both envision what Chloe’s describing. What she _continues_ to describe:

“And you’re _so…close_ …to _cumming_. Then a few of your colleagues pop in to see you. And you have to try to keep cool while I’m still on my knees under the desk, out of sight, _licking_ you. Then just as they leave and the door swings shut, you finally cu-”

But Chloe doesn’t get the chance to finish her sentence, because Beca quickly leans her upper body up and her face swoops down to kiss Chloe suddenly on the lips. It’s brief, and as Beca breaks the kiss, she appears to hold her breath.

“Sorry.” Beca mumbles, and Chloe wonders why, particularly as they’d kissed on several occasions before now. Then she remembers that this is part of how she’d fantisised this moment.

In the fantasy, she and Beca had been nervous. Worried that the other didn’t want the same thing that they did themselves. Beca is _pretending to be nervous._

So to ‘play along’, Chloe takes a shaky breath, and slowly lifts her head from the pillow, placing a gentle, tentative kiss on Beca’s mouth. It’s one of the softest kisses they’ve ever shared and it says a lot about how frantic and sexually charged their hookups have been in the past in their VRX world.

Their kiss breaks once again, and Beca takes the time to smooth the tip of her nose up and down Chloe’s nose. The darkness of the room only heightens their senses. And with another deep breath, their lips meet again.

Their following kisses are deeper, but still not hurried or fast. They’re long and slow. Their breath falls from their noses, washing over each other’s faces. And Chloe takes this time to sink back comfortably into her pillow, and truly feel every millimetre of Beca’s tongue with her own.

While in the real world the two best friends are 40 and 37 respectively, in this VRX ‘Barden’ scenario, their bodies are 24 and 21. Chloe’s fingers run their way up through Beca’s thick brown hair, enjoying the way they snag slightly among the locks before stopping at the topknot that Beca is currently sporting - a way of trying to tame her unruly hair in the humidity of what had been a hot Atlantan summer back in 2014. Beca’s hand cups Chloe’s cheek while her other hand successfully holds her upper body up over Chloe’s.

Soon that hand is trailing down Chloe’s chest, over Chloe’s pyjama vest, and down her side. The kiss is broken and Beca now places slow, loud kisses on parts of Chloe’s cheek, then jaw, then neck, to her collarbone, then back up to the nape of Chloe’s neck where she dares to nip delicately at the skin.

Chloe’s left hand is still at Beca’s head, gripping here and there at her hair, while her right hand is flopped up on the pillow. Gentle mews leave Chloe’s mouth and she feels her pussy begin to throb. Miraculously Beca realises and her hand that’s at Chloe’s side slips down further, skimming over her hip, further still until she moves beyond the hem of Chloe’s short-shorts, and down the woman’s bare thigh to her knee.

Beca breaks her gentle hold on Chloe’s neck and brings her lips back up to hers. They kiss once again, this time a little noisily, the sharp snaps of their long kisses joining the sounds of the rumbling thunder from outside. And Chloe feels Beca’s hand whisp from over her knee to the inside of her bare thigh, then everso slowly ascend up her inner thigh.

Beca’s fingers seem to hang patiently on Chloe’s skin once she reaches the hem of Chloe’s short-shorts once again. But the heat radiating from Chloe’s pussy is noticeable. And Chloe lets out a small whine of impatience into Beca’s mouth, her hips shuffling slightly to communicate what she wants next.

But, true to her word, Beca takes things slow as Chloe’s fantasy would’ve wanted. She moves her hand from Chloe’s shorts and up slightly to the hem of her vest top.

Chloe is surprised when Beca doesn’t lift it up. Instead the woman break their kiss with a sigh, then slowly Beca draws her face down, letting go of the vest and cupping Chloe’s right boob so she can draw it into her mouth over the fabric.

Chloe lets out a deep moan, her chest rising suddenly as she arches her back, and her grip in Beca’s hair tightens.

“ _God that’s good._ ” she whispers, loving that it’s so dark. It’s what makes the experience all the more secret. All the more naughty. When Beca nibbles at her nipple, Chloe lets out a tiny squeak then a heavy moan of pleasure. And with it, Beca seems to take the hint that it’s time more flesh was exposed.

So Chloe feels Beca sit up, tugging at the base of her vest top and pulling it up until it’s off Chloe’s body and onto the floor. Chloe feels a little vulnerable. But it’s short lived when she hears a rustling and through some sort of dim light, can see Beca pull her own pyjama top from over her head and onto the floor.

A smile sweeps onto Chloe’s face as she imagines that Beca can see it, but her eyes roll into the back of her head when her best friend ducks down and begins sucking on her boobs, one at a time, fondling the other boob whenever she sucks at one. Chloe grinds her hips as best she can, trying to find some relief, but nothing is on her crotch to provide said relief. So she just lays there being stimulated by her best friend, getting more and more wound up, but loving it.

Fortunately, Beca slowly begins to trail her kisses across from Chloe’s boob to sternum, then slow wet kisses down to her navel. A couple more kisses and even a cheeky flick of her tongue into Chloe’s belly button, then Beca continues her decent until she reaches the waistband of Chloe’s pyjama shorts again.

There she pauses, seeming to hesitate, and Chloe wonders for a moment what might be going through the woman’s mind. All until Beca clears her throat:

“Is it alright if I - um…”

And Chloe feels Beca give a tiny tug at her shorts to indicate that she’s asking permission to continue. Chloe more than obliges with a heavy “Uhuh!” and within a matter of seconds Beca has pulled the last of her clothing off with great care.

Chloe’s body quakes a little in silent anticipation, while she feels Beca shuffling between her legs to take her own pyjama pants off and shuffle down the bed. Then the redhead swallows loudly when she feels Beca’s breath suddenly washing over her exposed pussy.

Beca’s lips don’t land there first however, and Chloe takes a deep sharp intake of breath through her nose before letting out a throaty moan of approval as the brunette slowly drags her tongue up Chloe’s left inner thigh, then slowly up Chloe’s right inner thigh. And at last it stops at the finish line, Chloe gasping the second Beca’s tongue slips up to her clit and rolls there over and over.

‘Perfection’ was only a drop in the ocean of words that Chloe could use to precisely describe Beca’s tongue’s performance. It is at least ten years since Chicago has gone down on his wife and even _he_ would admit it hadn’t been the best experience for them. The man had half-heartedly licked from the main opening of her pussy up to her clit a few times, had slipped his fingers in her pussy with little enthusiasm, his only real motivation being that Chloe had promised him a blowjob after he’d gone down on her. In the end she’d faked an orgasm to get it all over and done with.

But Beca… she doesn’t seem to only provide impeccable oral attention. She’s so precise that she can provide Chloe with continuous stimulation that results in the redhead never once considering faking an orgasm to get things over with. She doesn’t need to. Because she can already feel one building.

Beca’s breaths are timed to perfection while she dives between Chloe’s folds, not seeming to mind for a second that her nose is now covered in the increasing volume of Chloe’s juices (as is her mouth of course). And as Beca slips her tongue down to Chloe’s opening, she brings her index finger up to her clit, and begins to rub it back and forth, adding to Chloe’s impending orgasm.

Chloe’s hands, that _had_ been gripping the pillow tightly, swish down to her breasts and she smooths her fingertips around her nipples, tweaking at them from time to time. Beca’s free hand wanders up to Chloe’s abdomen, then creeps up to Chloe’s left boob, the redhead quickly obliging the move by bringing her own hand down from it and instead gripping gently at Beca’s hair again.

“ _I’m gonna.._ ” Chloe whispers, pausing while she rocks her hips, her eyes squeezed shut while her orgasm seems to balance frustratingly on the edge. Beca has already achieved far more in the past several minutes with her head between Chloe’s legs then Chicago has in eleven years of marriage in any kind of position. And she achieves even more when suddenly she seems to slip her tongue from Chloe’s pussy, and place it flat on her clit, doing something with her tongue that stimulates the bud while two of her fingers twist into Chloe’s pussy.

As they curl and contract, Chloe feels herself unwinding, and she takes in a sharp intake of breath, her legs stretching out while her mouth snaps open. Her head and neck leave the pillow, and were anyone to see her facial expression they’d mistake her for being winded. But Chloe is definitely _not_ winded.

Emotion and pleasure races through her body from the pussy up, and her fingers tighten in Beca’s hair as she throbs against her best friend’s mouth while Beca’s fingers still within her. Then a throaty moan releases from Chloe’s mouth before the rest of her breath falls from her lungs.

And Chloe’s head rests back on the pillow, her body both exhausted and satisfied.

She thinks she blanks out for a moment - only a moment - but when she stirs, Beca has collapsed on a space beside her. Chloe just _knows_ the woman is proud of herself. And so she should be.

“Thatwasamazing.” Chloe exhales in one go, bringing a hand up to her forehead to push back some of her own hair so it doesn’t get too sweaty. Her eyes flutter closed as she feels Beca’s fingertips tickle her abdomen gently, leaving goosebumps in their wake, and she lets out a calm hum…


	8. Chapter 8

After a few moments Chloe seems to find a new lease of life, turning on her side to face her best friend in bed. Now her own fingertips start wishing around on the skin of Beca’s naked body. And it’s around which time she feels Beca’s ‘Sim cock’ harden and throb against her thigh. A relaxed smile spreads on Chloe’s face. She _had_ said to Beca yesterday that she wouldn’t know where to start with a pussy. And Beca having a penis in this VR world serves as a reminder that this _isn’t_ real life. Though for much of the time, Beca and Chloe don’t think about that reminder. Not any more.

Chloe leans her face over to Beca, and places a gentle kiss on her lips. One that deepens when her tongue slips into Beca’s mouth, and Chloe’s body tingles when she realises she can taste and smell herself on and within Beca’s mouth. 

Chloe’s hand meanwhile smooths lower and lower, sweeping down the woman’s outer thigh then across and up Beca’s inner thigh. All until she reaches Beca’s ‘Sim dick’, and takes it in her hand, enjoying the feel of the warm flesh while it twitches.

She hears a quiet moan sweep from Beca’s mouth as the woman breaks their kiss to lean her head back. And Chloe takes this as an opportunity to explore. So she gets up slowly to her knees, guides Beca onto her back, then slowly kisses and licks from Beca’s jaw down to her boobs, gives both boobs a good amount of attention, before continuing down and pausing just above Beca’s crotch.

“ _Is it okay if I…_ ” Chloe whispers, thinking it only right that she ask permission like Beca had. And she glances up the length of Beca’s body even though she can’t see her through the darkness.

“Yeah.” Beca mumbles, her voice seeming to reveal her yearning, “Yeah, definitely.”

And the brunette exhales heavily with a moan at the end when Chloe brings her whole hand around and holds it patiently. Beca’s fingers smooth gently through Chloe’s hair and Chloe already knows she’s going to do it, but likes that Beca is patient enough not to rush her. Rushing a blowjob is the worst, and Chloe is so grateful her best friend isn’t in a hurry. She feels respected.

“ _Gaahhhhhd_ …” Beca groans as Chloe draws her tongue up from base to tip, swirling it around the head, before drawing her tongue back down again. Chloe enjoys the sounds Beca makes when she does that. Enjoys the feel of the brunette’s fingers gripping at her hair as a response. So she does it again. And again. And again.

Eventually she pushes Beca’s entire length into her mouth, slurping and sucking away. Chloe tastes the precum. Feels the way the member twitches. Hears Beca’s breathing become more laboured while the brunette shifts her hips and rhythmic moans fall gently from her mouth.

And Chloe swears she’s getting turned on again. This is so hot. Beca Mitchell, writhing in her bed while she goes down on her. Here at their home in Barden, in their 21 and 24 year old bodies, as though it were 2014. Incredible.

“ _I’m gonna cum._ ” Beca eventually mumbles with a grunt, and Chloe feels the woman’s hands in her hair loosen their grip. But Chloe isn’t ready to sit back yet. She wants to swallow it. Every last drop. And clearly this decision surprises Beca.

“Chloeeeee…” Beca warns but Chloe only speeds up her efforts, and the brunette automatically brings her hands back to Chloe’s head, clawing through the locks as though she really can’t think of anything else to do right now.

Chloe senses Beca’s orgasm before it comes, and it’s no surprise to her when Beca suddenly thrusts her hips up suddenly. And Chloe feels her mouth begin to fill with Beca’s cum as loud throaty grunts release from Beca’s mouth with every small thrust she produces. Chloe laps it all up, waiting patiently for the final thrust before Beca let’s out a long heavy exhausted exhale of relief and seems to collapse back into the bed, breathless. Chloe lets the cock flop from her mouth, and she swallows loudly, a smile on her face at the sound of Beca’s brief whimper.

She sidles back up the bed, and the two best friends let out heavy happy sighs as Chloe tucks into Beca’s side, loving the feel of the woman’s arm wrapped around her. She lets out a chuckle as a chuckle leaves Beca’s mouth, and brings a hand over her bare abdomen, pressing a kiss to the side of her breast.

“Thatwasamazing.” Beca pants, and Chloe grins. She’s pleased.

They lay together, eyes closed, catching their breath while Chloe’s hand smooths over Beca’s skin, leaving trails of goosebumps. Beca hums from time to time and Chloe can’t help how content she feels. All until Beca mumbles:

“I wish we could do this in the real world.”

Chloe pauses her movements and draws her arm slowly into her chest. The real world. Those three words brought reality crashing back into Chloe’s mind. This wasn’t currently her body. She wasn’t currently with Beca. She wasn’t currently a super senior at college.

“You wouldn’t be attracted to me in the real world.” she replies in a sad tone, thinking of the reflection that looks back at her at home. Her body in reality looks nothing like it does here. She hates that body.

“You wouldn’t be attracted to me either.” Beca counteracts, but Chloe’s nose scrunches up.

“Yeah I would.”

“Well I would still be attracted to you in the real world too.” Beca says confidently, and Chloe finds her eyes rolling briefly.

“It’s different.” she says, her fingertips moving slowly over Beca’s abdomen again.

“How?” Beca replies with a chuckle, amusement in her tone.

“Because you’re _stunning_! You always have been! And I’ve seen your Instagram, it’s-”

“-Heavily edited and mostly ran by my PR team.”

Chloe pauses, tugging her bottom lip between her teeth.

“Fine.” She eventually concedes, “I saw you yesterday and you’re slim and have beautiful full hair and-”

“-And I’m miserable.”

The confession hangs in the air around them. Beca’s free hand moves down to rest on Chloe’s on her abdomen. Chloe thinks about what Beca’s words mean. The woman who has it all - or so the world is led to believe - is actually miserable. Miserable because there’s probably one thing in the real world that she doesn’t have, and that’s _Chloe_.

“Let me prove to you how beautiful you are.” Beca eventually says, suddenly sitting up, reaching over and clicking the bedside lamp on. Chloe blinks several times, trying to get adjusted to the light in the room. “Let me see you tonight.”

Chloe releases a nervous chuckle, “We _are_ seeing each other tonight. We’re here together right now.” And as she says it, she motions to their naked bodies, laying on the mattress of her college bed. Their _young_ bodies.

“I don’t mean in this virtual reality.” Beca explains, “I mean in the real world. Now. At your home in Atlanta. Let me fly down and see you.”

“Wha-” Chloe begins as a sort of scoff. She stares down the length of her own for a moment, marvelling at how hot she once was. There’s no way Beca could ever be attracted to her current body in the real word. Her forty year old body. But then she becomes aware of the way Beca is holding her naked body in this virtual reality. And while it terrifies her to expose herself to her best friend in the body she’s in back in the real world, a part of her is curious to know if being with Beca there would be and could be as amazing as it is being with Beca here in their own little VR world.

So with a deep breath, she looks back up at Beca, “When can you be here?”

“Give me two and a half hours.” Beca says confidently, and Chloe holds her breath. Is she really going to agree to this? She knows the second she sees Beca in the flesh it will go one of two ways: she’ll throw herself at her and kiss her senseless, or she’ll panic and they’ll fight and she’ll send her away.

Then her mind flickers to her husband, and for the tiniest millisecond the memory of Aubrey kissing him in the front yard flashes to the forefront. And that’s when Chloe decides she really has nothing to lose.

“Okay.”

She feels and hears Beca release a huge exhale of breath, her voice sounding optimistic when she replies with an echoed “Okay”, a relieved smile on her face while leaning down to place a brief kiss on Chloe’s lips.

“I’ll grab my plane and be with you asap.”

They share another kiss, this time it lingers, as though they’re aware this might be the final kiss they share in this virtual reality. Because in the real world it could all go terribly. They could fight. They could disagree. _They could get caught_.

“ _See you soon._ ” Beca whispers in a tone that would suggest she’s in a rush.

Chloe watches her sit up and say clearly, “Game Over!” before clapping her hands. And the redhead feels the mattress spring slightly as Beca pings out of the game. Out of the virtual reality world.

Chloe rolls onto her side and lets out a heavy sigh. She’s never going to tell Beca this, but her main reason for being so reluctant to meet up in real life after all that they’d done here in their VR world, is that Chloe doesn’t want to lose Beca. And by being together in some way in the real world, she really is at risk of losing _everything…_


	9. Chapter 9

Chloe stands anxiously by the front door of her house, picking at her cuticles and tugging at her blouse. Her best blouse. The one that she believes fits her body the best, complimenting her curves. Not too casual, but not too revealing. Modest, even. Pretty.

She’d spent a little while longer in the VRX world, sitting in her Barden room, looking around at all the memories. She’d shrugged her favourite silk nightgown on over her naked body and had enjoyed how loose it had felt around her slim waist. She’d sat at her desk, pulling an old notebook from the bottom of an extensive pile of notebooks, knowing full well it was her old journal. The journal that held her secret. The secret of her crush on Beca. When she’d opened the pages she found them to be blank. That was when she was reminded that this was a virtual reality world she was in, not a memory. That Beca had recreated it from memory and photos. And that was when Chloe had closed to notebook, called out ‘Game Over’ and had clapped her hands.

Coming round from the VRX game in bed was an unusual feeling. Chloe had always played and subsequently ‘woken’ on the sofa. But upon Beca’s recommendation to play the game in bed, Chloe had felt more relaxed and wet. And she’d wondered if Beca had always played the game whilst in bed. If whether, having felt highly aroused during the game, that after Beca would then masturbate to completion as a way of truly finishing the game for the night..

Chloe sees car lights pull up to the front of the house and her heart leaps into her throat. She waits with baited breath, holding out for Beca who she _knows_ is getting out of the car. But after a couple of minutes, Chloe frowns. What’s taking her so long?

The redhead moves to the door and unlocks it before pulling it open. The cool October night air floods through the threshold, and the sound of heavy rain falls. But Chloe doesn’t notice. Because she peers through the darkness to see her best friend stood in the rain, getting soaked, a few paces from the door.

“Beca!” she yelps, striding out in her slippers to grab the woman’s hand, desperate to get her inside before she catches pneumonia. Beca obliges, looking neither happy or sad. She looks serious.

Chloe slams the door behind them and locks it up, letting out short sharp bursts of air while the temperature of the house begins to warm her again. Her hair is a little rain-kissed and she looks down at her now damp blouse with a tut. She turns to look at Beca, her eyebrows rising in disbelief:

“What are you _doing,_ you weirdo? You’re gonna catch a cold!”

But Beca just stands there, soaked, the rain water finally no longer dripping from her chin. And Chloe realises the woman isn’t wearing a jacket. Just an old baggy Barden t-shirt and well-worn pair of sweatpants, a pair of tatty sneakers that Chloe is sure she’s seen before somehow.

“I’m really nervous.” Beca says with a sniff, “I was just trying to get some courage to knock on the door.”

“Courage?” Chloe asks, a coy smile on her face, “Why do you need courage? It’s only me.”

“Yeah, it’s you _only_. On your own. The times I’ve been here Chicago’s always been about. And the kids have been upstairs. But now there’s only you and me and…it makes me feel nervous.”

Chloe’s confused, “In a bad way?” she asks, and Beca’s quick to throw her hands out as if to stop her from moving, though Chloe is perfectly still.

“ _No_! God no.” Beca replies confidently, adding slightly more sheepishly, “In an ‘I don’t want to screw this up’ kinda way.”

The house falls silent as Beca and Chloe look at one another. It‘s strange - only a few hours ago they were laid naked together in Chloe’s bed at Barden, both far younger then they are now. Both having pleasured the other. Now they stood in their older bodies in the real world. They’re almost at a loss of what to do.

“You’re wet.” Chloe eventually says, and there’s a pause before a small smirk pokes onto Beca’s face. And it’s mirrored by Chloe who realises what she’s said, “I meant your clothes are soaked, and your hair’s all-”

“-Don’t worry Beale, I know what you meant.” Beca assures before letting out a light chuckle and Chloe chuckles in return. There’s a warmth between them once again. Like an old blanket that wraps around the two of them and pulls tight.

“Did you want a coffee?” Chloe asks, “And some dry clothes?”

“Yeah - uh - thanks.” Beca replies with a sniff, rubbing the heel of her hand on the tip of her nose to collect dripping rain from it. Chloe motions to the lounge while looking at her best friend, and Beca gets the hint, giving her a small nod before heading through to the offered room. As she watches Beca go, Chloe looks up and down the woman’s body and begins to worry. Her clothes are going to _hang_ off Beca’s petite frame.

—

“Here.” Chloe says, handing a mug of coffee out to Beca who takes it gratefully. The redhead sits beside her on the couch and a silence settles around them.

Chloe had eventually raided a small box at the back of her closet. The box labelled ‘Barden Stuff’ and had found an old Barden sweater and a pair of Barden sweatpants. Both are too small for her now but had fitted her body once. Both are a little too big for Beca, but suit her all the same. Chloe tries to think of the last time she’s seen Beca in a piece of her clothing and concludes it must’ve been around twelve or thirteen years ago. Probably for as long as they’ve not lived together.

“I’m pleased I kept my Barden clothes now.” Chloe says, on the cusp of a chuckle, and Beca smiles.

“You never were one to let go.”

“Says the girl who not only recreated our Barden house in a virtual reality world but also arrived at the apartment yesterday in an old Barden top…” Chloe counteracts, her voice dancing as she smiles back at her best friend.

“Which ended up on the apartment floor.” Beca adds, and the two chuckle as they take the first sips of their coffee. ‘The apartment’ had always been what they’d called the studio apartment they’d lived in in Brooklyn. Sometimes they’d called it ‘home’, but that had always been a given.

“You can keep them if you like? There’s no way they’ll fit me any m-“

Chloe begins but is interrupted by a heavy sigh from her best friend and is surprised.

“Why do you keep doing that?” Beca says in a disappointed tone.

“Doing what?”

“Keep being so negative about your body.”

Chloe’s embarrassed about being called out on it, and her cheeks flush a little while a flustered smile appears on her face.

“I’m only being honest about it.” she says with a shrug but she can see how upset her best friend is getting.

“No, you’re not being _fair_ on it.” Beca replies seriously, leaning forward to place her coffee on a small table nearby before quickly turning her body to face Chloe. “It’s carried you for forty years. It’s been through hell and back on more than one occasion. And - _gahd_ \- why can’t you see how _beautiful_ you are??”

Chloe’s smile had quickly dropped the second Beca had turned to her. Now her chest feels tight as she looks into Beca’s eyes, the woman silently imploring with her to see what she can see. Silence settles around them once again, and Chloe swirls her fingertip nervously around the lip of her coffee mug.

Suddenly Beca stands and Chloe watches as the woman looks down at her seriously.

“I need you to stand up.” Beca says, and Chloe hesitates.

“What?”

“Please?” comes the request in a soft tone. Chloe obliges, getting to her feet, putting down her coffee cup on the table beside Beca’s, then standing up straight. She tugs her blouse down over her hips, an automatic movement that Beca seems to track with her eyes before their eye-contact locks. Beca seems nervous and Chloe is beginning to worry as the brunette takes a few steady breaths.

“Okay, I’ve gotta show you something that’s pretty horrible. And it’ll be exactly all the proof you need to understand why there’s _no way_ you’ll _ever_ be attracted to me in real life the way you are in Sims.”

Chloe admits to herself that it’d be quite a stretch to find something that she _wouldn’t_ find attractive about Beca. Nor something surprising - after all, the woman _had_ been sporting a functioning (and very satisfying) penis in the Sims world.

“O-kaaay..?” Chloe states nervously.

After a couple of moments Beca brings her hands, crossed, to the hem of the large Barden t-shirt Chloe has lent her, and holds the fabric between her fingertips. As the shirt is pulled up and over Beca’s head, the redhead’s eyebrows rise, her mouth dropping open by the time Beca’s hands fall to her sides.

“See.” Beca says in a sad tone, “This is what I look like now. In the real world.”


	10. Chapter 10

Chloe is stunned. Her eyes train in on a very noticeable clean scar that runs vertically up the centre of Beca’s abdomen.

“What _happened_??” Chloe asks, trying not to choke on her own voice it’s so strangled, and she immediately looks up into Beca’s eyes to search for answers. Beca seems timid. Anxious. And it worries Chloe to no end.

“About four years ago I felt a pain in my stomach during my world tour. I powered on through it for the final three dates. But the second I stepped off stage at the end of the last show I collapsed. Turned out I had a hernia.”

Chloe gasps, ready to interject with something sympathetic but Beca continues:

“Robot surgery. That’s the future apparently. Robot surgeons instead of humans. There’s a 99.99% chance of it fucking up and an actual human surgeon having to step in. Turns out I was that 0.01%.” Beca pauses to motion to her body as though she’s given up being mad at the situation, “Fucking thing caught a blood vessel or something and the surgeons had to cut me open quickly to find and stop the bleeding. All the money in the world doesn’t even prevent something like that happening.”

Beca stands before Chloe, topless, vulnerable, and clearly with nothing more to bare to her best friend. Chloe wants to reach out and pull her into a hug, but she’s not sure if it’s what _Beca_ would want. So she waits as patiently as possible.

“Yeah I’m slim,” Beca continues, “but it’s because it still aches for me to eat sometimes. If I get bloated it stretches the scar and I’m in agony.”

“Is that why you went quiet on us?” Chloe asks, the ‘us’ being their collegiate a capella group ‘The Bellas’ with whom they are all still in touch with.

“You’d just had that cancer scare.” Beca begins, “Jessica and Ashley had just had a miscarriage. Aubrey had just got another divorce. Amy had had her iguana put down. And Cynthia Rose’s Dad had just died. I-I didn’t want you guys to worry about something as minor as me being in hospital-”

“-Potentially bleeding to death.” Chloe finishes, her heart breaking, “Did anyone know?”

“My PR team did. My label did.” Beca says with a shrug, drawing the baggy barden top to her chest to cover her boobs, “They decided nobody should find out and potentially ruin my strong steely demeanour.”

“Beca,” Chloe begins in a soft voice, finally reaching out to hold Beca’s arm gently, “you went through all this alone?”

There’s a pause as Beca looks into Chloe’s eyes, then the brunette nods gently. Chloe lets out a sad sigh, tears in her eyes.

“I got depressed. More depressed than usual.” Beca continues, not seeming to notice the way Chloe’s hand has now gently touched down on her shoulder, the fingertips sweeping delicately up the side of her neck to her earlobe, then down the length of her arm to her elbow. “The label suggested I have plastic surgery to ‘fix’ the scar but…I-I just couldn’t go through with it. My body had already been fucked up once, it could happen again.”

Chloe’s chest tightens with each confession Beca makes. ‘She must have been so scared’ Chloe thinks, wishing she could’ve been there.

“I stopped touring. My label eventually dropped me because I refused to be photographed. Three years later and I’d found a new label who, yeah, weren’t as well known but it helped me continue making music on my terms.”

Beca’s twiddling the fabric of the Barden shirt she’s borrowed, anxious about telling the story. Her eyes dart around Chloe’s face as though desperately trying to read some acceptance.

“Then my therapist suggested I give VRX a go. Try to build my confidence up again. I tried a few games but Sims X was just… _incredible_! I was me again just not with this disgusting scar. That’s when I started getting addicted to building a VRX version of our Brooklyn and Barden.”

Chloe’s fingertips have stilled, her arm dropping to her side, and a brief soft smile on her face grows - one that matches the brief soft smile Beca is revealing now.

“My confidence returned. I started touring again. But I still kept my scar hidden. Still _keep_ it hidden-”

“- _Why_??” Chloe asks in a low sad tone, and Beca lets out a heavy sigh, her shoulders slumping.

“Because it’s ugly. Because it _makes_ _me_ ugly. And I’m embarrassed about it.” She pauses to let her confession sink in, then adds, “So now you know why I’m a bit sensitive about you being so mean about your body.”

There’s another brief pause before Beca turns her attention to the old baggy Barden top in her hands, opening it up and making to sling it back over her body. But Chloe stops her.

“Wait.” Chloe says in a gentle voice, placing her hand on the brunette’s arm, and Beca does. The younger woman looks questioningly at the other woman, her breath hitching in her throat.

Chloe takes a step back, then after a shaky exhale to compose herself, reaches for the hem of her own blouse. As she tugs it up, Beca swallows loudly, having not done what she’d done to make Chloe feel like she has to do the same.

“Chloe, you don’t have to do-”

But Chloe has already whipped her blouse off to reveal her upper body and her very best bra (a standard white wireless bra which boasts a feeble lick of lace across the top line). Chloe drops her blouse to the ground and stands before her best friend feeling vulnerable already, not able to meet Beca’s eyes.

“It’s only fair I show you my physical insecurities too.” Chloe explains, reaching around to unhook her bra. Chloe’s boobs come loose and she drops the garment down onto the ground on top of her discarded blouse.

Chloe clears her throat anxiously and lets out a nervous breath of air. Then at last she looks up to lock eyes with Beca. To her surprise she sees her best friend looking back at her _affectionately_.

“So, um…” Chloe begins, bringing her hands out to the sides in an over-dramatic shrug, then bringing them swinging back down again. The sound of her arms hitting the flesh of her upper body is noticeable - though only to Chloe it would seem, “…it’s no surgical scar but…well I’ve got stretch marks on the side of my boobs just here, see?” She points to large stretch marks on the outer side of each boob so Beca can see. And Beca looks, but doesn’t react. “And they’re so much bigger and saggier than they were before kids.” Chloe adds miserably. She’s constantly looking down at her body, not daring to look up at her best friend.

“And my stomach’s got so big now I can’t even see my little sunshine tattoo on my hip anymooore.” There’s a touch of a whine in her voice as she reaches down below her belly and pulls up slightly to reveal her sunshine tattoo - the one that compliments Beca’s rain cloud tattoo - situated on her hip just shy of her old C-Section scar that runs horizontally under the lip of her stomach. As she releases her stomach she motions to the skin either side of her navel with tut, “More stretch marks…” she grumbles, then turns to her side, “…and I’m even starting to get a little roll here.” and she indicates a tiny buildup of fat on her back in line with her boobs, “I’m getting _back-fat_ , Beca.” she adds in a worried tone, finally looking up at her best friend who hasn’t changed her soft expression once.

Chloe turns to face the woman once again, her posture slightly slumped, “See, there’s no way you can be attracted to _this_ ,” she says in a defeated tone, motioning to her upper body, “when you’ve been having ‘hot skinny Chloe’ in Sims.”

Chloe stops and blinks, taking in the sight of Beca who is also topless and seems to be thinking about the redhead’s examples. And for a moment, Chloe begins to worry that perhaps she’s being unreasonable. That perhaps she absolutely _mustn’t_ be unconfident about her body because at the end of the day, it’s not like she has a horrifying scar. But then..Beca is at least able to hide it? Chloe’s larger weight is hardly easy to hide beneath clothes.

Chloe should never have worried, because all of a sudden she watched Beca sweep forward, and kiss her firmly on the lips. Beca’s left hand cups Chloe’s cheek while her right hand swings around Chloe’s waist to the small of her back. Their bodies press against each other, top-halves naked for the first time in the real world. And as a tear gently slips from the corner of Chloe’s eye, she brings her own arms around Beca’s body, deepening their kiss with a heavy breath through her nose.

Kissing in the real world feels familiar and new all at the same time. Exciting. Comforting. _Perfect_. And Chloe immediately falls into a blissful trance while she feels Beca slip her tongue across her bottom lip before Chloe grants access into her mouth. They hold one another tighter.

The kiss eventually, naturally, ends. And when it does, Beca and Chloe press their foreheads together, eyes closed, breath leaving their mouths. Beca’s fingers slip deeper within Chloe’s hair, then return as she leans her face back from Chloe’s and opens her eyes. Chloe does the same, drinking in Beca’s affectionate expression while the brunette strokes her thumb gently back and forth across her cheek.

“I’m attracted to every inch of you.” Beca says peacefully, in a lovely quiet voice, “And have been through each decade we’ve known each other. When you were in your twenties. When you were in your thirties. Now you’re in your forties…”

“ _Why_?” Chloe asks, her voice quivering thanks to the emotion overwhelming her body right now. Because it’s been so so long since she’s received such acceptance, having never been one to cut herself some slack particularly with her body image.

“Because when you’re in love with someone you’re not just in love with the way someone looks. You’re in love with _all_ of them.” Beca answers simply, shrugging as though it’s all so easy, “Like, I love the sound of your voice, and the way you tell stories. I love to hear you sing-”

“-I haven’t sung in a long time.” Chloe admits, her cheeks flushing at each compliment Beca gives her.

“I love the taste of your cooking, and miss the taste of your signature carrot cake. I love it when you laugh because your nose scrunches up slightly at the top while the skin by the corners of your eyes wrinkle. And when I’m around you - just being around you - I feel at home and safe and… _like I belong_. You know?”

Chloe is nodding with a soft smile on her face. She _does_ know. And it’s because she feels the same way with Beca too. That feeling of belonging and safety.

“Being in the Sims world is great, don’t get me wrong. We can live our life together the way we always used to. We could live it however we want to. But…” Beca takes a breath, her fingertips smoothing up and down the small of Chloe’s back, “…I just need you to know that whatever’s going on with you in the real world, no matter how awful, no matter how ‘big’ you feel you’ve become or are becoming…I just need you to know that I’m never gonna stop loving you. Never gonna stop being _in_ love with you.”

And Chloe struggles to find the words to respond. So instead she lurches forward and kisses Beca firmly once again, a couple of tears pooling between their lips causing their kiss to intensify almost immediately. Yeah, kissing in the real world was way better.


	11. Chapter 11

Chloe leads Beca slowly up the stairs by the hand, her heart thumping. Her home is dark and empty, yes. But it’s still her home. And she knows that by leading Beca upstairs to the guest bedroom she’s taking their ‘fling’ to the next level. This is the real world now. Not virtual reality. Chloe’s nervous.

They’d put their tops back on downstairs. Had made-out on the couch for a little while. Then, just as Beca’s hand had crept beneath her blouse, Chloe had practically fallen off the sofa she was so nervous. That was the moment Beca and Chloe had both agreed that perhaps it was best they found a bed to lie on, not the small couch…

Once rounding the corridor and arriving outside the guest bedroom door, Chloe brings them to a stop. She stares down at the door handle until Beca cuts the silence.

“Are you sure you’re okay with-”

“-Yeah.” Chloe quickly replies firmly, “Yeah I just need a second to…to build some courage I guess.”

She glances over at Beca and they both smile gently at each other, hands still held, noting the way Chloe also uses the word ‘courage’ as Beca had earlier when she’d just arrived at the house.

“We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”

“But I _do_ want to do this.” Chloe insists, turning to face Beca fully. She slips her arms around her best friend’s waist, noting how odd it is to be this intimate with someone a little shorter than her. And she sees through the low light a coy smile on Beca’s face. The woman’s hands sneak up to gently cup the back of Chloe’s neck. And after a couple of beats, the two best friends slowly draw their faces forward and their lips together in a gentle kiss.

It breaks, light sighs falling from their mouths as their lips part. And once Beca drops her hands from Chloe, the redhead takes Beca’s hand in her own and slowly guides her through into the guest bedroom of her house..

—

The bed is definitely a better option and after some time spent making out, Chloe finds herself on her side with her leg between Beca’s, sat up, looking down at the brunette who is on her back looking up at Chloe. Their hearts beat as one.

Chloe reaches a hand out to stroke some of Beca’s hair from her face and they both share a smile. Ever since finding out about Beca’s scar, Chloe can’t help but feel somewhat comforted by the fact that they’ve revealed their physical insecurities. That they’ve stripped themselves bare both literally and metaphorically. That there isn’t anything more to hide. That they’re now… _equals_.

“Is it okay if I…?” Chloe begins, her hand moving from Beca’s face to the hem of the Barden shirt the woman’s wearing, plucking it gently between her fingers and thumb. Beca nods and the air around them seems still as Chloe sits up on her knees.

But the position doesn’t help Beca who winces slightly when trying to sit her upper body up, and Chloe is quick to tumble off her when she notices her best friend trying to put a brave face on at the new (apparently uncomfortable) position. Beca manages to shift a bit onto the hip, and she lets out a short sigh of relief, finding it easier to lean up like that.

“Sorry.” she mutters, but Chloe doesn’t blame her in the slightest.

“God, no, _I’m_ sorry! So, so sorry. I um…I guess I’m so used to us in the Sims world that I didn’t-”

“S’okay Chlo.” Beca says with a kind smile, “I guess I’m used to that too.”

Chloe watches as Beca seems to decide to take her top off herself and the redhead watches patiently. Beca pulls the garment over her head with another sigh of relief and holds it between her hands in her lap, looking over at Chloe nervously.

This is all a stark difference to the times they had sex in their VR world. Those moments were heated, rushed, and furious. They’d been fairly confident in their Sim bodies. This moment in the real world now feels like it’s a million times more important than the times before. And a million times more nerve wracking. This time it actually _means_ something.

Chloe sees Beca move closer to her, dropping her borrowed Barden top over the side of the bed, and using that hand to cup the redhead’s face. Their foreheads rest against each other again, and the intimacy is enough to set their breathing to quick shallow breaths once more. Chloe’s heart races when she fleetingly thinks about how safe and loved and _wanted_ she feels. She’s almost forgotten what it’s like.

And shortly after thinking those things, she suddenly throws her lips back onto Beca’s, the brunette responding with as much enthusiasm and passion, hands both snaking around Chloe’s neck while Chloe eases her down onto her back again.

—

“It…doesn’t hurt when I touch it like this…right?” Chloe asks curiously, her fingertips running cautiously down the length of Beca’s scar, her eyes peering at the gnarled white skin. If Beca says yes then she intends on immediately removing her fingers. But she doesn’t hear any objection, and she looks up to see Beca looking down at her with a contented smile.

“Nah.” the brunette replies casually, “I can’t even feel it in the middle. Busted nerves or something.”

And Chloe draws her fingertips back up to the central part of the scar, checking with Beca once again, “Not even this?” she asks as she draws a tiny circle around the lumpy skin.

“Nope.”

“Wow.” Chloe mumbles, looking back down at Beca’s stomach.

It’s been around thirty minutes since Beca took her top off and in that time Chloe had eventually followed, taking her own clothes off - even her pants. She still feels a little insecure laying naked beside Beca, but not enough to stop things entirely. It’s not that she doesn’t trust her best friend. She just _still_ can’t believe that Beca finds her _attractive_.

Beca’s fingertips smooth delicately across Chloe’s bare shoulder blades, causing goosebumps to rise to the surface of the forty year old’s skin. And Chloe thinks how nice it is to be this intimate with someone again. To be this intimate with Beca.

The brunette’s fingertips run further down Chloe’s body, as far down her back as she can stretch, then smooth back up again. Chloe fights her temptation to squirm away, the embarrassment she has for her body still bubbling away at the surface. But Beca seems to adore every inch of her skin, as is show by the way the woman shifts slightly on the bed and places delicate kisses on Chloe’s shoulder while her fingertips continue to smooth over every curve and groove on Chloe’s back.

Chloe, meanwhile, decides that she wants to kiss in return, and as such begins placing gentle kisses on Beca’s scar. She hears her best friend take a sharp inhale of breath through her nose, and it worries her. So Chloe quickly looks up.

“Sorry. Should I just-?”

“-No, it’s good.” Beca interrupts, peering down at her, “I just…haven’t ever had anyone touch it before let alone kiss it. That’s all. It’s weird.”

“So weird that you want me to stop?” Chloe asks, her eyebrows shaped into a worried expression, but Beca looks down the length of her body with an affectionate smile, and after a pause replies:

“Definitely not.”

—

Chloe’s not sure how it happens but within twenty minutes she’s laying on her own back, Beca now completely naked too, and laying half on top of her with her leg between Chloe’s. Their kissing has become heated again, and Chloe is starting to get used to the feel of Beca’s hands smoothing over her stomach and hips, her small left hand managing a handful of Chloe’s large right breast from time to time.

She lets out a huge exhale of breath when Beca breaks their kiss, the brunette’s lips proceeding to plant loud kisses on Chloe’s cheek, then jaw, then neck. She feels Beca’s tongue land on her pulse point on her neck, swirling around and around in small circles and it causes an involuntary moan of pleasure to fall from the back of Chloe’s throat when all she’d been doing previously was hum. And it seems to be enough encouragement for Beca to sink further.

Chloe looks down the length of her body and sees her best friend continue to place long loud kisses all over her skin. Her eyes flutter closed at the feel of Beca enclosing her mouth over her boob, sucking in the nipple and swirling her tongue around it. By the time Beca applies the same attention to the other boob, Chloe can feel her pussy tingle. She’s almost certain she’d be wet right now. Wet enough for Beca to-

Chloe flinches slightly, and Beca pauses, looking up at Chloe in concern. The brunette has reached Chloe’s ‘jello tummy’ - the flabby piece of stretched skin between navel and pubic bone - that Chloe’s forever been sensitive about since giving birth to her eldest son. And Beca has just _kissed_ it.

Their eyes meet and Chloe says nothing. She’s embarrassed. Given all that Beca has been through, given that Beca has allowed _her_ to kiss her scar, she can’t exactly put into words why she still feels so inadequate even though around an hour ago she’d felt so equal. Fortunately Beca seems to read her mind - just like they’d once been able to do so well in their twenties.

“ _You’re so beautiful_.” Beca whispers, placing another firm kiss on Chloe’s stretch-marked ‘jello’ stomach before moving right up to Chloe’s face and kissing her sweetly on the lips, mumbling into her mouth, “ _Every bit of you._ ”

And Chloe just holds Beca tighter, kissing her harder.

—

The top of Beca’s head bobs up and down, left to right, around and around between Chloe’s legs and the redhead looks down the length of her body fleetingly - still in awe that this is happening in the real world - before flinging her head back onto her pillow. Her back arches and her hand reaches down to grab Beca’s hair while the woman continues.

Turns out Beca’s oral talent isn’t restricted to the Sims world, and as a result Chloe can feel an orgasm building. Never mind that Chloe’s thighs are bigger than her Sim. Never mind that Beca probably has a bit more of Chloe to contend with than she’s used to in their VR world. Because Beca doesn’t seem to be struggling in the slightest.

But Chloe wants something a little more. So rather than allow Beca’s tongue to continue its dance around her clit, Chloe tugs gently at her hair while mumbling, “Back up here.”

Beca looks a little worried when her face rises from Chloe’s pussy, juices shining on the top of her nose, her lips, and her chin. But Chloe just smiles at her in a way that Chloe hasn’t smiled at anyone in a long time. Chloe smiles _suggestively_. And it has Beca quickly scrambling back up the bed, practically falling into the redhead’s arms, kissing her passionately again. A kiss that sets Chloe’s desire alight at the taste of herself on Beca’s lips and tongue.

“Your turn.” Chloe mumbles into Beca’s mouth, and at the same time she rolls her best friend onto her back. Beca clearly can’t help the massive grin on her face and Chloe’s heart pounds as she places one last kiss on the woman’s lips before shuffling away down the bed. Beca automatically spreads her legs and for the first time ever Chloe is faced with Beca’s pussy.

Chloe involuntarily licks her lips, keen to pleasure Beca. Wanting to hear those moans that she knows her best friend can produce. The problem is…Chloe has no idea where to-

“Where do I start?” she asks, embarrassed that she doesn’t know. But why would she? She’s never been with a woman in real life, and the times that she’s been with Beca have been in their virtual reality world - where Beca has a dick!

“Um,” Beca starts and her fingers swish a little over her own breasts while she takes the briefest moment to think, “is there anything I’ve done just now or in our world that you particularly liked? Because chances are I’d like that too.”

Chloe tugs her bottom lip between her teeth and smiles nervously, mumbling out a soft “Okay…”

She shuffles down the bed so she’s laying on her stomach, her face inches from Beca’s pussy. And while she considers bringing her fingers to it first, she thinks back on the couple of times Beca’s gone down on her both now and in their VR world, and she’s reminded of something Beca does at the beginning that drives her crazy with anticipation.

Beca lets out a whimper as Chloe draws long wet loud kisses up the inside of her left thigh, from her knee to an inch before her pussy. Then the redhead does the same on the inside of Beca’s right thigh. Then she stops, looking up at Beca with a grin.

“How’s that?”

“ _Amazing_!” Beca chokes out, looking down at Chloe with a look of desire. And with their eye contact still locked, Chloe brings one hand out, and cups Beca’s pussy. She delights in watching Beca’s eyes roll into the back of her head with a heavy exhale, and it gives her confidence to continue.

Drawing her focus back down, Chloe takes a deep breath and brings the pad of her thumb up to Beca’s clit, pressing on it and rolling her digit in a circle over and over. When a moan tumbles from the back of Beca’s throat, Chloe looks up, delighted to see Beca with her eyes closed and her mouth hung open.

Looking back down again whilst continuing this motion, Chloe notices that Beca is becoming wet, and it has the redhead turning excited. She feels her own pussy throb a little, but it never crosses her mind to relieve herself. Instead she spies some of Beca’s juice beginning to ooze and Chloe slowly ducks down, sticking her tongue out, and licking tentatively at the opening.

The noise that comes from Beca’s mouth is like a siren call to Chloe, and she doesn’t take any time to stop and think about what she’s just done or how it tastes. Instead she quickly ducks down again, her tongue lapping firmly at the juice Beca is producing. There’s no doubt about it, Chloe’s hooked. And the second she sucks noisily, catching Beca’s clit with her top teeth accidentally, Beca thrusts her hips up to increase the contact and pressure.

Chloe brings her hands down and hooks her arms under Beca’s thighs, in the hope that she can get deeper into her best friend. Her tongue probes into Beca’s entrance, pumping in and out as best as Chloe can. She manages to wrap her arm around Beca’s thigh enough that her hand can curl around and play with the woman’s clit from above. On and on Chloe continues, never once considering to pause for breath while Beca’s pants and moans of approval encourage her to continue.

Then all of a sudden Beca grabs at Chloe’s cheeks, pulling her face from her pussy and guiding her back up the bed. Chloe follows, scrambling to pull her body up until eventually she and Beca are side by side.

Chloe’s eyes flutter closed as Beca kisses at her hungrily, clearly keen to taste herself, and she reciprocates. A long deep moan leaves both Beca and Chloe’s mouths as they each bring a hand down and cup the other’s pussy. And the second they each slip their middle fingers between the others wet folds and up within, their kisses become sloppier while their hips begin to roll.

Faster they go. Furiously they go. Their breathing becoming laboured. No longer kissing but keeping their foreheads against one another while they look down at each other’s mouths, concentrating solely on their impending orgasms.

“ _God I’m gonna cum_.” Chloe mutters, desperately wanting to release at the same time as her best friend. And to her delight Beca seems to be in a similar position.

“ _Me too_.” she pants in return.

Chloe feels Beca freeze in her arms, though credit to the brunette, she continues moving her hand between Chloe’s legs. Beca lets out a groan, her head flinging back while her eyes are closed and Chloe manages to catch the sight of Beca for a matter of seconds until she herself is overcome with sexual relief.

Both Beca and Chloe roll their hips, stimulating their sensitive clits on each other’s fingers while their respective hands still. And as their orgasms subside, they both let out contented heavy sighs.

Their eyes flutter open and upon catching the others eyes, they both let out giggles, unable to believe what has just finally happened.

They’ve just had sex. With each other. In the real world.

And as they pull their fingers from within one another they silently agree - it was aca-awesome!


	12. Chapter 12

“You’re joking!”

“I’m _not_!” Beca insists with a chuckle, smoothing her hand across Chloe’s ass and giving it an affectionate squeeze before she takes a seat at the kitchen table. It’s afternoon the next day and she’s back in the same casual clothes she’d arrived at the house in last night - all garments now dry. “They were like moths to a flame! It was brilliant.”

Chloe potters around the kitchen of her marital home, having just topped up Beca’s cup of coffee and insisting Beca _shouldn’t_ help her wash up. She chuckles at the woman’s paparazzi story, wishing she could’ve been there.

Something feels different today. As though a weight has been lifted from her shoulders. And it _could_ have something to do with the relentlessness of the sex they’d had last night - practically _all_ night - over and over again. But it could be due to the _attention_ Beca seems to give her, both physically and emotionally. Chloe had woken feeling calm and relaxed, with Beca tucked into her body. And they’d spent much of the morning lazing about naked in bed together, kissing and stroking and chatting, and giggling about how life had once been like when they’d been in their twenties.

Beca has to leave soon, and they’re both aware of it. But they’re still clinging on to every last second together in the real world. Hands are brushing and Chloe even sweeps her hand across Beca’s shoulders every single time she passes her while they chat in the kitchen.

“Hey.” Beca mumbles, and Chloe stops the second her best friend gently takes hold of her hand. Chloe’s soft smile broadens as she sees Beca looking up at her adoringly. No words are spoken. No words need to be spoken. Chloe knows what Beca is after and she is more than happy to indulge her.

The redhead slowly leans down, loving the way Beca smiles at her whilst watching Chloe’s lips, and after a gentle nudge of the nose, they share a long soft kiss.

This is nice. Being able to steal kisses and be flirty again - flirty just how they used to be in their twenties. Except this time it’s better because they both know how the other feels.

“ _I love you._ ” Chloe whispers for the millionth time in twelve hours the second the kiss breaks, letting the words wash across Beca’s skin. It feels amazing to finally say it after all those years keeping it to herself when she was younger.

But just as Beca’s about to respond in kind, her broad smile already communicating how smitten she is by the redhead, the front door of the house unlocks and opens. Chloe immediately snaps upright upon hearing her husband’s heavy sigh, flapping at her clothes as though trying to smooth out creases that dont exist. Both their smiles drop and Beca brings her coffee cup to her mouth to take a sip, not wanting to seem too flustered, though her cheeks tell a different story such is their glow.

“Hey honey.” Chicago mumbles in a tired tone, wandering into the kitchen, and he stops with a frown as soon as he sees Beca sat at the kitchen table. “Oh…hey Beca.”

“Hey.” Beca responds. Chloe just stands anxiously between them. It’s only been two days since Beca was last here. Neither woman had been expecting Chicago to be home so soon. Particularly not as he’d gone on his ‘booty call’ to Aubrey. If he were feeling sharp enough he could question why Beca’s here in such casual clothes. Why both she and Beca have wet hair. Why Chloe is wearing a more slim-fit top (not a style she’s worn in a long time but suddenly feels confident again to wear thanks to Beca’s adoration of her body). But he’s clearly exhausted.

“You in the neighbourhood again so soon?” Chicago asks as he heads for the fridge, plucking out a bottle of milk to swig from.

“Uh yeah,” Beca says, “something like that.”

The man doesn’t appear to dwell on her words, and instead finishes his fill of the milk, putting it back in the fridge before stepping over to his wife. Chloe offers her cheek which he briefly pecks, both with forced smiles on their faces. Beca watches on clearly trying not to look too jealous. She fails and Chloe notices. Fortunately Chicago doesnt.

“I’m gonna go upstairs for a nap.” the man says with a yawn, and heads back out of the kitchen for the staircase.

At the sound of the bedroom door closing, Chloe moves to Beca’s side again, this time smoothing a hand through her damp brown hair. Beca still watches the door that Chicago left from.

“I saw that look.” Chloe says in a quiet tone, and Beca lets out a sigh, “You don’t have to be jealous. Me and Chicago…it’s all a façade now.” she pauses as Beca looks up at her with a worried expression, “He has Aubrey.” Chloe assures, “And I have you.”

—

“Has Beca gone already?”

Chloe looks up from her book to see her husband wander into the lounge, looking a little fresher than he had done earlier. She tries to ignore how sick she feels knowing that he’s exhausted thanks to a night spent with Aubrey, then she quickly reminds herself of her night spent with Beca. It’s still messed up but in an odd way, it seems to be working for the estranged couple.

“Um, yeah. She’s got a show tonight.” she replies, resuming her attention on her book. And there’s a pause until Chicago clears his throat awkwardly in the doorway.

“Hey I found a VRX console on our bed.”

Chloe’s heart throbs in her throat and she suddenly loses focus on her page. _Shit_.

“Since when do we have one of them?”

He’s never known about the console. Chloe begins to feel panicky.

“And…why was it on our bed??”

Grappling for information to tell him, and briefly toying with completely lying, Chloe decides to tell him a little bit of the truth, but with enough lies to throw him off the scent.

“Beca bought me one for my birthday, remember?” She begins, looking up from her book innocently, “I’d forgotten that I’d stored it under the bed and got it out to try last night, but then Beca got here and I must’ve forgotten to put it away.”

Chloe’s heart hammers and she begins to feel hot with worry as her husband furrows his brow. But his response isn’t one she’s expecting:

“Beca stayed the night?”

Crap. She hadn’t told him that either. Not that it matters. Why would her staying the night lead Chicago to assume that his wife and Beca were having an affair? Though he’d be absolutely correct - they were having an affair. In the VRX world and now the real world.

“Yeah, she…” Chloe pauses trying to think of something quickly, “…needed somewhere to stay nearby and asked if I was around.” It was a lie, and Chloe didn’t feel good lying. But in her defence, Chicago was lying too! He’d spent the whole night with Aubrey last night! “I offered her the guest bedroom.”

“And when _you_ went to bed you didn’t put the console away?” Chicago asks, confused more than anything.

“It wasn’t on my side of the bed.” She replies, impressed she can provide an answer so quickly, “I guess I didn’t notice it when I got up this morning.”

Again her response is adequate, and her husband’s eyebrows rise, then he shrugs, “Okay. Well, I’d like to have a go one day. I hear you feel like you’re really _in_ the game.”

Chloe swallows loudly and forces a smile, nodding gently. She knows better than anyone how much you can feel like you’re in _the_ game. And the thought of how much Beca makes her feel sends a tingle across her pussy while her husband leaves the room, his phone in his hand texting someone with a grin.


	13. Chapter 13

Chloe lets out a heavy grunt as her back collides with the wall behind her, but she doesn’t dwell on the brief ache. Because Beca’s body quickly pushes up against her front, sandwiching her, and the redhead grins into the heavy kiss that they quickly resume.

Three weeks have passed since they’d had sex in the real world. And they haven’t seen each other in the real world since. But their VRX world-

“ _Off_.” Chloe mumbles strictly as she tugs at Beca’s belt, beginning to unhook it. And she feels Beca smile into their kiss, their breathing fast such is the intensity of their make-out session.

They’re stood in the kitchen of the VR Bellas Kitchen, making the most of another night that Chicago is spending at the retreat with Aubrey - almost a weekly occurrence now. Their locations change with each visit to ‘their world’. As do their appearances.

Today Chloe has opted for her twenty two year old self, while Beca has opted for _her_ twenty two year old self. Physically the same age. Mentally as one.

Beca grapples at her belt with fumbling fingers, not breaking their kiss once, while Chloe grabs at Beca’s vest, loving the feel of being pressed up against the wall. When she hears Beca’s pants drop to the ground she lets out a moan at the back of her throat when her lover resumes the squishing of her body, and Chloe feels Beca’s hard-on twitching against her dress-covered crotch.

They’d vaguely spoken last week via text about how they both enjoyed Beca having a dick in the Sims world, though Chloe had insisted that if Beca ever wanted to have a pussy instead she wouldn’t object. But Beca was yet to take Chloe up on that offer, mumbling about how good it felt and how she’d had a pussy her whole life in the real world-

“ _God_.” Beca growls as Chloe reaches down and wraps her hand around her erection.

“ _Table_.” is all Chloe mutters in response, and she releases Beca’s dick to grab the woman’s shoulders and push her backwards until they reach the kitchen table. Chloe slips her hands down to cup Beca below her ass and hoiks her up onto the kitchen table.

Beca lays back, completely expecting Chloe to go down on her, such is the position they’re both in. But Chloe nudges at her legs and hips then shoulders until Beca realises the woman wants her to scramble further onto the table.

Once there, Chloe clambers up to join her, and the two best friends become locked in a heated deep kiss while Chloe straddles Beca’s hips. Beca’s dick nudges at the entrance to Chloe’s bare pussy, and the sensation intensifies their kissing.

“I want you to _cum_ in me.” Chloe mumbles in an impatient, low, seductive tone. This is another discussion they’ve had via text: both like to be dominated - so they’ve agreed to alternate domination per VR visit. This time it’s Chloe’s turn. “Get me pregnant.”

Beca grins into their kiss. It’s all talk. But the last time they’d met in their Sims world, Beca had mumbled into Chloe’s ear how she was going to put a baby in her. It had surprisingly turned up their desire for one another, and both had orgasmed quicker and harder than they had ever done before.

Chloe reaches down between them and guides Beca into her. They both let out loud moans of relief the moment Beca is fully inside, and Chloe grins lazily as she sits up and gazes down at Beca’s beautiful body, then down her own. It’s still weird to be able to do all this as though they’re in their twenties again. But they both love it.

Beca sits up with ease, wrapping her arms around Chloe’s waist and throwing her face into Chloe’s cleavage to place sloppy kisses on her skin. And within a minute, Chloe begins rocking her hips into Beca, causing the woman to slightly slip in and out of her.

The moan that falls from Beca’s mouth, muffled by Chloe’s right breast that she’s busy sucking, encourages Chloe to speed up her motions. And soon there’s the noticeable sound of Beca’s impending orgasm.

“ _You gonna get me pregnant?_ ” Chloe rasps, gasping for breath while she rocks faster against Beca’s body. Beca immediately looks up and into Chloe’s eyes, staring at her intensely, nodding as best she can given their position on the kitchen table and the angle Chloe’s at.

“ _Oh yeah baby._ ” Beca mumbles confidently, a smirk on her face but a twinkle in her eyes that tells Chloe she’s close.

“ _Yeah_?” Chloe exhales with a grunt, speeding her efforts up, watching her best friend’s face begin to contort.

“Yeah I’m gonna put a baby in you-” Beca quickly blurts before adding, “Let’s have a baby. Lets…have…”

Chloe watches in awe as Beca’s face finally screws up, eyes squeezing shut as her mouth hangs open, and Chloe adores the way Beca cums. She adores the way the woman digs her fingers and nails into the flesh of her hips. Adores the feel of Beca’s Sim dick twitching as it unloads into her. Adores the slight winey grunt followed by a stammered whimper as Beca’s forehead lands on her body during the come-down. And the dopey grin on Beca’s face when they finally look back up into each other’s eyes.

—

Hot water and plenty of soap suds and nobody to catch them. Beca stands naked and soaked with her back against the shower wall in the Bellas house, water still falling from the shower head but no longer on her because she’s just out of range. And in her arms before her is Chloe, naked, leaning back into her.

Chloe lets out a happy moan as Beca’s soapy hands swish up her stomach and over her breasts. Over and over again. Lathering up. Fingers tweaking nipples. She feels Beca’s tongue licking and her mouth sucking at the nape of her neck. And Chloe’s eyes squeeze harder as she feels Beca’s hands come together across her stomach then slip down between her legs, fingertips slipping among her wet soapy folds.

Beca had had the idea of experimenting with height for this VRX session. Chloe had been a little stunned at first, but suddenly there is a _lot_ of benefits to Beca suddenly being 5’9”. Such as how well she can now reach around Chloe’s body. And how easily Beca can lift Chloe up onto her Sim dick.

The hot water. The height difference. The soap… it all adds to another different VRX experience that neither of them have tried before. And they _love_ it.

—

Chloe’s eyes bulge the second she pops into the Brooklyn apartment and sees Beca stood before her as a twenty five year old, boasting a sleeve of tattoos on each arm and both legs. But Beca doesn’t look nervous, and Chloe isn’t horrified. Far from it.

“ _Well_!” Chloe exclaims with a beaming grin on her face, slowly approaching Beca while the brunette leans back against the tiny kitchen table, her left ankle over right, and she opens her arms out to her sides proudly.

“You like?” she checks with smile, and a chuckle leaves her mouth as Chloe takes her hips with a seductive look.

“I _looooove_!” Chloe mumbles, her eyes tracking down the side of Beca’s neck, following a tattoo that swirls from just below the woman’s earlobe down beneath the collar of her leather jacket.

“I thought I’d try a biker look this time.” Beca mumbles as her nose nudges into Chloe’s jaw and her lips smack a heavy kiss against her neck. And Chloe’s eyes flutter closed as she sweeps her palms beneath the front of the jacket and around Beca’s waist. Meeting up here in their Sims world is _always_ worth the five day wait.

“ _Very badass_.” Chloe confirms with a mumble, her hands reaching the small of Beca’s back, and she brings her mouth around to the woman’s ear that boasts a line of ring piercings up the flesh.

“Just one suggestion for the first round?” she adds, making sure to take a couple of heavy exhales into the brunette’s ear, and the only response she garners from Beca is a low grunt. “Keep the jacket on. _Only_ the jacket.” and when a moan begins curling from Beca’s mouth, Chloe tugs one of the earrings teasingly between her teeth.

—

“Sure you wanna try this?” Beca asks hesitantly, and Chloe peers over her shoulder whilst laid flat on her front. Beca’s behind her, dick in one hand and lube in the other.

“I wouldn’t have suggested it if not.” Chloe replies with a grin, spreading her ass cheeks with her hands. She has no idea why Beca’s so nervous. The woman _had_ insisted they can’t feel pain in the VRX world. And Chloe trusts her. She wouldn’t be letting Beca do this if she didn’t.

“Okay, well..if at any moment you want me to stop,” Beca says cautiously, squeezing a glob of lube between Chloe’s ass cheeks, “just…say, yeah?”

—

“Agggh! _Shit_! _Shhhhit_ shit-shit! _Stop_!”

Chloe’s not even _doing_ anything. Well…not any more. But she’s no idea why Beca is telling her off. There is _literally_ nothing she can do right now.

“Ah-kav-thodt!” she garbles incoherently in response, trying to peer up the length of Beca’s body. But all she can see is the flesh of Beca’s right breast as the brunette yelps in pain. According to Beca they weren’t even supposed to _feel_ pain in the Sims world! They certainly hadn’t last month when they’d tried anal for the first time..

Chloe hears Beca wince and try to regain some clarity. She’s stood by the lake opposite the Bellas House with Chloe crouched before her. And they’re stuck. _Literally_ stuck. And reluctantly, eventually, Beca lets out a huff of frustration.

“I’m gonna have to call it and restart.” she says in a disappointed tone, looking down at Chloe who still can’t literally physically meet her eyes. “Sorry Chlo. I must’ve - _ouch!_ \- forgotten to adjust the - _agh!_ \- pain threshold, after our spanking sessions the oth- _ERR_ week. _Shit_! _Agh_! You okay if I exit and adjust a couple of things _ssss_ - _ow_!”

Chloe, who has absolutely no choice in the matter, simply brings the palms of her hands from Beca’s bare hips (where she’s been trying to hold herself steady), up to her sides as a way of shrugging. Because of course she doesn’t mind. She never wants Beca to hate what they do in this game.

She feels Beca smooth a hand affectionately through her hair the release it so she can clap her hands the second after she calls out “Game Over!”

Chloe tumbles forward to the ground on her hands and knees and lets out a wince. A wince that is closely followed by a long loud giggle, and she rolls onto her back, bringing her hand to her face while she laughs into it.

“Game over!” She eventually yells and the instant she claps her hands her eyes fling open and she’s laying in her marital bed.

The grin she ‘wakes up’ with remains as she picks up her phone that lays beside her to see a text come through from Beca:

**Pain threshold readjusted 👍 maybe one of us shouldn’t have a nipple piercing when the other has a tongue piercing though 😂 xxx**

Chloe lets out a chuckle, quickly replying:

**Agreed 😂 I’ll go back in without the tongue piercing 😘 xxx**

—

“ _God_ I can see why you liked this so much!” Chloe growls, rocking her hips back and forth with her eyes closed. Her hands are on Beca’s hips, fingers digging into the woman’s flesh while Beca crouches forward before her.

They’re in the VRX version of Beca’s old recording studios - BFD Records. Beca is bent over the mixing desk. And Chloe, who has surprisingly chosen to try out having a ‘Sim cock’, is stood behind her, busy thrusting in and out of Beca’s wet pussy.

“You like fucking me from behind huh?” Beca asks rhetorically, a lazy grin on her face as she peers over her shoulder to see Chloe’s head fling back while speeding up her efforts.

“Ohhh yeah.” Chloe confirms, her breathing becoming laboured, her orgasm building with every impacting thrust. This is amazing. _Why_ hadn’t she suggested she try this sooner??

“ _Gahd I’m gonna cum_.” Chloe murmers, leaning forward and pushing even further into Beca. Then all of a sudden, ecstasy rockets through her entire body from her crotch, as her cum shoots up into Beca’s pussy. Her Sim dick pulses until her orgasm subsides. And with one last huge heavy exhale of sexual relief, she feels her dick go limp, slip out of Beca, and she places a kiss on Beca’s back.

“ _Wow_.” she breathes out heavily, stepping back with a goofy grin.

“Told you it was good.” Beca replies with a smile of her own, standing upright only to glance between her legs and let out a long whistle. “Holy shit, you look like you needed that, Beale.”

And Chloe can’t help the slight sense of pride as she watches a huge glob of her cum drip from Beca’s pussy and land on the carpeted floor of the studio. She’d definitely have to try that again some time.

—

**I have a surprise for you as a celebration of one year playing our VRX game 😘**

Chloe looks down at the message, her heart in her throat. She never gets tired of Beca texting her with emojis like this. It’s all she’s ever dreamed of since meeting the brunette twenty years ago.

Her sons skip past her in the kitchen and she quickly realises, reaching for their lunch bags and calling them back to give them their food. Then within seconds she’s in an empty house again. Alone until her teenage boys return from school for dinner. Chicago hasn’t been home in a couple of days, stating that it’s a busy time of year at the retreat. It never had been in previous years.

So Chloe figures there’s no harm in plugging into the VRX system now. The laundry can wait.

**Be with you in 5? 😘**

Chloe waits for a confirmation from Beca and the moment she gets one, she races around the house locking doors and windows so nobody can disturb her. After setting the console up in her bedroom, placing the VRX charm on her temple, and settling back on her bed, Chloe presses the green button and is immediately swooped into the game.

She arrives with a pop outside the door of the Brooklyn apartment - out in the corridor. She and Beca have never had much of a reason to be here before. And her eyes immediately find Beca stood before her, in the dark blue tartan pant suit she always used to wear for work back in their twenties when the brunette worked for BFD records.

Chloe furrows her brow curiously while Beca grins at her.

“Are you ready?” Beca asks, and Chloe can’t help the huge smile on her face, nodding gently. She briefly looks down and sees she’s in her old vet internship scrubs, remembering that that was what she’d worn in her last visit to this VRX world (that’d _actually_ only been last night as Chicago had been away).

Chloe lets Beca take her hand, then slowly guide her into their Brooklyn apartment. She sucks in a huge gasp, a smile of disbelief spreading across her face when her eyes lock onto a baby crib at the foot of her and Beca’s bed. Chloe cautiously approaches, her hands gently resting on the edge of the crib. And she peers inside to see the most perfect little baby looking up at her, dressed all in pink.

“She’s ours.” Beca says, and in a funny way, Chloe already knows. There’s a weird tugging sensation that makes her feel as though she and Beca and this baby are bound together and pulled tight. _They have a baby together_!

“You can hold her you know?” Beca says in a calm voice, and Chloe doesn’t need telling twice, reaching down to pluck their Sims daughter out of the crib. As she stands in the middle of their Brooklyn apartment, Chloe looks from their baby (who in a crazy way seems to look like herself _and_ like Beca all at once) over to Beca. But Beca is just looking at Chloe with the softest expression.

“You said you always wondered what it’d be like if we’d ever had a baby in our twenties.” Beca mumbles, her hand having smoothed across the small of Chloe’s back, “Well here we are. One perfect little baby in our perfect little world.”

Chloe tries to hold back her tears but they begin to roll down her cheeks while she smiles back at her lover. They had spoken about it last night during their VRX meet-up, Chloe stating that Beca would’ve been the most wonderful mother to their children if they’d got together in their twenties. That they probably would’ve had a girl or two.

“ _She’s beautiful_.” Chloe whispers, looking down at the baby in her arms.

“Just like her mother.” Beca responds, placing a kiss on Chloe’s shoulder before joining her in looking at their ‘new bundle’.

“And no horrible labour to go through.” Chloe added in an optimistic tone, causing a light chuckle to leave Beca’s mouth.

—

“I can keep this game rolling in the background if you like?” Beca offers quietly, “She can get a little older each time we revisit?”

Chloe is laid on the fold out bed of their Brooklyn apartment about an hour later, facing the middle, Beca the same on the other side. And laid between them is their baby girl, fast asleep.

Chloe pauses the motion of running her fingertips delicately across the skin of their daughter’s forearm and looks over at Beca. She swallows loudly and takes a breath.

“Actually…I don’t want to venture away from our baby being this young. Things just get complicated when kids get older.”

She notes the way Beca’s face drops slightly, and Chloe brings a hand up to smooth her fingertips through the woman’s brown hair.

“It’s not that I don’t love having a baby with you, babe. I do.” Chloe says honestly, affection to her soft voice, “But I love the idea that we can still have the freedom to dip in and out of different games within our world. Maybe this game can just be the ‘baby game’ and if we fancy spending an hour or two as parents together then the option’s there. Yeah?”

To her relief a small smile spreads on Beca’s face and the brunette takes hold of Chloe’s hand to bring it down to her mouth. After placing a firm kiss on her palm, they both smile at one another.

“Sounds perfect.” Beca replies.


	14. Chapter 14

The Lodge of Fallen Leaves isn’t exactly where Chloe wanted to find herself for Thanksgiving. But her _sons_ of all people came home from school last month saying how Aubrey‘s sons wanted all of them to go to the retreat for the holiday period and while it didn’t sit well with Chloe she honestly couldn’t think of an acceptable reason to say no - after all, she couldn’t exactly say to her sons that they’d never be seeing Aubrey and her sons again because their father was having an affair with the woman. So Chloe, reluctantly, said yes.

“Another s’more?” Aubrey asks, holding a long stick out towards Chloe. The redhead looks up from her glass of wine and over at the gooey mess held out towards her. The heat of the late night campfire they’re sat around burns her cheeks such is its ferocity and she’s reminded why she hates camping so much. Particularly in the early winter.

“Um, no.” she replies politely, “Thanks.”

Her stomach twists into a tighter knot as she watches Aubrey offer the s’more to Chicago instead. Her husband takes it in a casual way. Almost _too_ casually. As though he’s overcompensating for how giddy and excited he’s feeling on the inside to be spending the next few days with his mistress right under his wife’s nose. ‘The excitement _really_ must’ve heightened for them.’ Chloe thinks miserably, then turns to look to her sons sat opposite her with Aubrey’s sons, the teens sandwiched between Aubrey and Chicago. They seem happy. Happier than she’s seen them look in a long time. And Chloe feels as though she’s like some sort of bystander. It makes her feel sick.

“Um, if you could just excuse me a minute.” She says, already rising to her feet, not able to meet her husband’s eyes - not that she can imagine he’s probably looking at her. He probably only has eyes for Aubrey.

Chloe doesn’t wait for a response and isn’t overly sure she’ll get it. She walks away from the campfire to the lodge she and her husband are supposed to be sharing - ‘supposed to’ because he didn’t get to bed until 2am last night, woke up at 5am for a ‘morning run’ with Aubrey, and he doesn’t look like he’ll be going to bed early tonight either. With that in mind, Chloe decides it wouldn’t hurt to check in on her VRX world for a few minutes. Perhaps return to Barden for a bit and feel twenty again. Life always felt so simple back then. She needs a ‘reset’.

The redhead lets herself into the warm lodge, releasing out a sigh of relief at the warmth reaching her cold hands and face. She moves through to the bathroom, and locks the door behind her. Then from within a rogue cosmetic bag at the bottom of the large sanitary bag she’s brought with her, she pulls out a small pouch that holds her VRX charm.

‘Modern technology’ she thinks to herself with a grin, and places the charm on her temple. In recent weeks technology in the VRX world has advanced with a new update and device allowing players to submerse themselves in their games without the need for a TV. Beca, being the multi-millionnaire that she is, immediately purchased the new technology for herself and for Chloe. And so far, it has been revolutionary.

Chloe lets out a long sigh, takes a seat on the toilet seat, flutters her eyes closed, and presses firmly on the charm. In an instant she’s shoots into her VRX world, and pops outside the door of the Bellas house. She smiles calmly, and immediately relaxes. This is it. Her happy place. Her favourite summer breeze drifting around her hair and twenty two year old body. Perfection.

Chloe doesn’t take the time to dwell on the fact that she’s a million times happier in a VR world than in real life. It would only make her upset. Instead she steps through the door and heads upstairs to her bedroom, trying not to let her mind wander when she thinks about how many times she and Beca have grappled at each other, locked in a heavy make out session whilst on these stairs. Thinking about Beca isn’t a good idea. Knowing that she has no means of contacting her lover makes Chloe’s stay at the WiFi-less/signal-less retreat in the real world all the more difficult.

Once she reaches her bedroom, Chloe lets out another happy exhale of content, foolishly glancing at the bed, expecting Beca to be there. But unsurprisingly, Beca is no where to be seen. Chloe is alone.

The redhead wanders towards the closet in the bedroom, the one place she hasn’t explored in the room yet. She takes a deep shaky breath, reaches for the doorknob, and twists it. Pulling the door open Chloe is faced with a mashup of clothes - very few that she recognises. And as she reaches out for the fabrics she remembers that this VR world is entirely created by Beca’s memory and photos. So of course the woman couldn’t remember every piece of clothing that had been in Chloe’s messy closet during college.

Chloe steps away from the closet and heads for her bed, laying back on it with a sigh, looking up at the ceiling. She thinks about the last time she was in this bed in the VRX world, tied naked to the bedposts while Beca goes down on her, licking up whipped cream strategically placed down her pussy and on each bare breast.

As Chloe thinks back on how amazing that’d all felt, her hands reach up her body and gently smooth across the fabric covering her nipples. And in an instant, she decides she may as well spend the few minutes away from her family and the real world doing something _she_ wants to do.

But as her hands slip down and reach the top of her pants, ready to delve beneath, the front door of the house suddenly slams open and Chloe distinctly hears Beca’s voice yelling out:

“CHLOE??”

“BECA!”

Chloe leaps off the bed, a grin on her face, delighted to see her lover after twenty four hours without contact. Her grin quickly drops, however, when she leaves her bedroom to see Beca bounding up the staircase with a terrified expression.

“What’s going o-?” but her sentence is muffled by Beca’s hand as it slams onto her mouth, her other arm wrapping around her waist. Tears are in Beca’s eyes as Chloe looks into them. And soon tears are springing into her own.

“Don’t say a word! Just leave the game!” Beca’s tone sounds desperate and it begins to terrify Chloe too as the woman adds, “Find the entrance to the place where you’re at. There’s a guy there. Find him. He’s got a message for you. _Don’t_ talk to anyone else!”

Chloe watches, stunned as Beca releases her mouth with a small sob, and takes a step back, adding a firm, “Find him!” before calling out “Game Over” and clapping her hands then disappearing with a ‘pop’.

Chloe is shellshocked. Her mouth is dry. But dutifully she raises her hands shakily then calls out in a quivering voice “G-Game Over” and claps her hands together…


	15. Chapter 15

Chloe’s eyes snap open and for the first time in a very very long time she ‘wakes up’ panicking. Her chest heaves and she notes sweat on her brow. And after several long blinks she swallows loudly and sits up from her position on the toilet seat.

Her eyes fall to the floor of the bathroom to help her try to focus. To try to remember what Beca had said to her just now:

A man. A man was at the entrance of the lodge? He had a message for her. What kind of message? A message from Beca presumably, but _why_?? Why couldn’t Beca give her the message in their VRX Barden?

Chloe pulls the VRX charm from her temple and lets out a heavy shaky exhale to try to compose herself. She has to find this man. Has to find out what’s going on.

So the forty one year old rises to her feet, slips the charm back in its pouch and decides to put it in her pocket. Then, after one final glance around the bathroom to check it’s presentable enough, she leaves.

Her heart pounds in her chest as she exits the lodge. Since walking away from the campfire, Chicago’s moved around to sit directly beside Aubrey. The teens with them don’t seem to have noticed how close their respective parent is sitting to the other parent. Chloe’s too dazed to notice her husband’s hand shoot away from the small of Aubrey’s back.

“Hey everything ok Chloe?” Chicago asks, but Chloe’s focus is on the main body of lodges far ahead of her towards the front of the retreat.

“Yeah I - uh - just need to get another wine cooler.”

It’s a lie, but it seems to work. She doesn’t hang around to make sure that it does. Her heart is now pounding in her ears and with every stride closer to the ‘Welcome Lodge’, the more worried she becomes.

She’s never seen Beca look that terrified before. _Never_. And she tries her hardest not to panic. Maybe there’s a blip in the system that means Chloe’s Sim looks weird? Beca knows how sensitive Chloe is about her appearance. Perhaps the brunette wants to save her embarrassment?

‘Yes,’ Chloe decides in her head, ‘That’s definitely it.’

But as she strides into the ‘Welcome Lodge’ she’s met with the sight of a staff member stood behind the desk with a company phone to his ear. He immediately looks to her and, somehow, his expression changes to one of relieved recognition.

“ _Wait_ I-I think she’s here!” he blabs, and Chloe’s eyes immediately shift to the phone in his hand. Was Beca on the other end of that line?

“Ms Beale?” the nervous young man asks, and Chloe gives him a curt nod. Because she’s not been called her maiden name in a _very_ long time. Not by anyone except Beca. She watches as he holds the phone out to her in an instant and Chloe practically tumbles towards it, taking it with both hands to hold to her ear.

“It’s me!” she blurts, not knowing whether Beca wants her to use their names, and her breath becomes a little raspy as nerves pump around her body. Because she hears Beca let out a gasp of relief, but the phoneline doesn’t sound very clear. And it worries Chloe no end.

“Beale!” Beca bursts, and Chloe knows the woman is crying, “I couldn’t trust this guy with the message. Listen, I need you to get in your car and meet me at the place we first ever sang together.”

Chloe’s chest feels tight at Beca’s additional instructions. The words feel almost strangled, and it’s noticeable how careful Beca is when saying each one, _clearly_ , as though she’s only limited to a certain amount of words so each one is valuable.

“ _Don’t_ speak to anyone. Turn your phone on ‘airplane mode’ the second you leave the place you’re currently stood-”

“I-I don’t understand.” Chloe says, her back turned to the young man who can obviously hear both ends of the conversation given how quiet the ‘welcome lodge’ is at this time of night, “What’s going on?”

“I can’t tell you here. I can’t tell you in our Brooklyn or our Barden. Find me at the place and I can tell you there.”

Beca’s instructions are clear. Her voice makes it seem as though she’s putting in extra effort to sound brave. And it’s this that has Chloe worrying the most. Why does Beca feel the need to _sound_ brave?

“Okay.” Chloe confirms, “I’ll leave now.”

“Okay.”

Chloe pauses, wondering if Beca has any more instructions or even if she might be able to work out if Beca is at their meet-up point already. But from the sounds of things there’s engines and sharp bursts of air and…Chloe wonders for a second if Beca is actually on a runway somewhere…

“I’m on my way. I love you.” Chloe adds eventually, honestly. And in a weird way, she practically _hears_ Beca’s smile in the way the woman sighs with a bit of relief.

“I love you too.”


	16. Chapter 16

Chloe switches the ignition of her car off and lets out a long heavy breath she hasn’t realised she’s been holding. She grips the steering wheel anxiously, peering out of her front windscreen. Barden campus is dark, lit only by the odd lamp beside the path here and there. But she sees her destination in sight. Block 15. Within that building are the very showers she first duetted with Beca, back in 2012.

She glances down at her phone and remembers she’d turned it on airplane mode - as requested by the brunette back at The Lodge of Fallen Leaves. All the way here Chloe imagined what sort of awful state she’d find Beca in. But now she’s here all those thoughts fly out of her mind. Chloe just wants to see Beca. To hold her. To find out what’s going on.

Chloe steps out of her car, slamming the door closed as quietly as possible behind her, though the silent campus means the _clunk_ echoes around her. She locks the vehicle up, then begins to quickly dash across the green to the doors of Block 15.

Her feet skit at the rate of her heartbeat - quickly with no noticeable rhythm - as she heads further and further into the building. The automated lights turn on with her movement. Chloe’s chest feels tight when she sees the bathroom up head with its lights already on. Someone is in there. And she silently prays it’s Beca.

“Beca!” Chloe bursts the second she sees her best friend stood anxiously alone in the middle of the deserted bathrooms. She lunges forward, wrapping her arms around the woman’s petite body and Beca holds her with just as much surety. To Chloe’s surprise Beca is trembling, and soon the brunette lets out a loud sob.

“Wha-?” Chloe begins, peeling her arms from around her best friend, but Beca is quick to interrupt her.

“-I’m _so_ sorry Chloe.”

Chloe’s heart stops briefly as she tries to look into Beca’s eyes. But Beca won’t look at her. Instead she looks at her own hands that are resting on Chloe’s hips, tears noticeably falling down her cheeks.

“Baby what’s going on?” Chloe asks gently, using the pet-name she’d been so against a few months ago but that she’s grown to love. She brings a hand up to push some of Beca’s hair back behind her ear affectionately then softly cups her cheek. But at Beca’s next words, Chloe’s heart leaps into her throat and breath traps in her lungs.

“I’ve been hacked.”

Chloe’s stunned once more, frozen to the spot while she remains stood with Beca in the middle of their old Barden bathrooms. _Hacked_?? Like, _her phone_ had been hacked?

Suddenly blood begins rushing to Chloe’s head when she thinks back on the texts they’ve sent each other over the past year and a bit. Texts that - read by anybody else - would immediately reveal the truth about their affair. And more specifically, how they have been successfully conducting their affair. In a VRX version of Sims.

And millions of horrible outcomes flash before her eyes as she envisions how truly awful things will become if people were to find out about their affair. Not just those close to them, but the general public too. Beca’s fans would-

“-The new technology. The new VRX update. There’s been a glitch. A glitch that means anyone using it has been exposed.”

“Exposed?” Chloe asks, the word clagging to tongue. She watches as Beca pulls away from her hold, finally looking up into her eyes while taking a step back. And Chloe’s heart sinks at the loss of contact. _What’s going on_??

“The technology is so new that it’s expensive, right? Only the rich have really had access to it. Turns out powerful billionaires have been cutting deals with one another within the games. Have been having important meetings. Others have been living out their wildest fantasies. And some…have been involved in scandalous affairs…”

At the final sentence Chloe flings her hand up to cover her mouth in horror. Beca just looks up at her with a grim expression.

“The hackers have apparently copied every second of my game time, looking back on the memory of the older games played and copying them too.” Beca pauses, sniffing loudly and swiping the tears from her chin. “Chloe I’m so sorry. They got _everything_.”

Everything. _Shit_.

The second the realisation hits Chloe’s body she lets out a yelp of horror, both hands flying to her face to cover it before she yells out into her palms in annoyance. _How_ could she’ve let this happen??

Her hands drop, tears crowding her sight as she looks over at Beca. Her chest hurts and for a moment she thinks she’s going to faint.

“So what does that mean?” she asks sharply with a strong sniff, “They have everything, what does that mean? For them. For us. For _this_ _thing_.” she motions aggressively between them, her anger at the predicament starting to show. And she watches as Beca shakes her head gently then shrugs as though she’s lost all hope.

“It means right now we’re number one through to number ninety one of the top one hundred list on every porn site on the internet.”

The colour disperses dramatically from Chloe’s face as she thinks back not only the stuff that she and Beca have done together over the months, but also how explicit it’s been. How taboo. And the idea of millions of perverts out there in the world watching the two of them doing those things has Chloe feeling sick.

“That’s why I had to get you out of there earlier and-and why I had to call you from that pay phone at Atlanta airport and why we need to keep our phones on airplane mode at the moment.” Beca rambles nervously, tears no longer falling down her face but still in a state of shock, “I don’t know if I’m still being hacked and if I am then I don’t know in what way!”

Chloe is still trying to come to terms with what this all means. Her life as she knows it in the real world is over. It _has_ to be. There’s no way things will be ok now.

“How could you _do_ this to me!” Chloe shrieks in dispair, and it’s a reaction that has Beca frowning.

“Me??”

“Yes, _you_!” Chloe cuts back, tears rolling down her cheeks, “ _You_ were the one who got me the game. _You_ were the one who seduced me-”

“I didn’t have to do much and you know it!” Beca snaps back, “You said it yourself, you’d had a toner for me for _years_!”

“I was _married_! I’m _still_ married! And I’ve got two teenage sons who are gonna find out about their mother’s affair in horrific detail!”

The words echo around the room then fall to silence as the two best friends - the two lovers - stand before one another: anxious, upset, worried, angry…

“You’re apparently blurred or hidden in every video. The boys are still protected under the _Cane Order of 2022_ so…the press aren’t allowed to release anything until they turn eighteen, and your appearance will be unrecognisable until then.” Beca offers with as little optimism as any of this situation provides. And it doesn’t make Chloe feel any better to know that her ass won’t be on the cover of a magazine for another five years. The fact is, it’ll still eventually be on there. “But it _will_ be released in five years time, Chloe. Chicago _will_ find out.”

Beca’s final sentence rings in Chloe’s ears and it all suddenly hits her. Her husband’s going to find out. Eventually. And as she looks at Beca she realises just what the woman is suggesting.

“I’m not telling him.” Chloe says stubbornly, folding her arms. No way. _No_.

“You’ve _got_ to tell him, Chloe. Sooner rather than later.” Beca replies a little in dispair, “You and I both know he’ll find out before the press release it. It’s human nature. He’ll search for porn and-”

“-All he’ll get is you with some ‘mysterious woman’.” Chloe finishes for her confidently, “You said it yourself my appearance is hidden to protect my sons until the youngest is eighteen. He’d have no idea.”

“Chlo…”

“I _can’t_ tell him Beca.” Chloe insists in a slightly more desperate tone, her shoulders slumping before she flails her arms around, pacing rather dramatically, “I can’t go ‘ _oh hey by the way I’ve been fucking my best friend for over a year in a virtual world! Why YES she HAS been using her dick! And yes it IS bigger than yours AND she knows how to use it! I’ve never orgasmed so much in my life_ ’!!”

Beca’s proud of the back-hand compliments and Chloe knows it. And perhaps they could revisit ‘rate and review’ time in the future. But for now, there are more pressing matters in hand. She turns to face Beca seriously once again.

“I can’t tell him yet, Beca. I can’t because I need time to think of how to tell him. I need to mentally prepare for the consequences.” she explains, watching as Beca nods gently to show she understands, “To _financially_ prepare for the consequences.”

“I can help you out with money.” Beca quickly offers, no hesitation in the slightest, but Chloe takes a step forward to take her hands, shaking her head gently.

“You can’t predict what this is going to do to your career, babe.” Chloe replies in a soft tone, and she watches Beca pause to bite her bottom lip. It’s obvious Beca hasn’t for one second considered how this exposure would hinder her own life and career. Beca is worried about Chloe and only Chloe. And it’s really rather endearing.

“I just worry how he’ll react if he discovers what’s been going on by accident.” Beca says in a quiet tone, squeezing Chloe’s hands gently while they lean their stomachs forward against each other, “At least if you tell him, it’ll be in a more controlled environm-”

“-He’s not a violent man, babe.” Chloe assures gently.

“He was a soldier. There’s a switch somewhere in the back of his brain that can be flipped if triggered. You _know_ that, babe.”

“I know.” Chloe says amongst a heavy exhale, and she ducks down slightly to briefly nudge the tip of Beca’s nose with her own, Beca’s hands now around her waist again, “But I know my husband. There’s not a malicious bone in his body. When the time’s right, I’ll tell him. I’ve got five years.”

The college bathrooms fall silent as the two lovers hold one another. The atmosphere around them feels heavy and sad. Particularly when Chloe quietly adds:

“I guess that means no more of _our_ _Brooklyn_ and _our_ _Barden_.”

 _This is it_. This is the final moment they can be together comfortably. No more VRX hookups. No more secret texts. No more texts full stop at the rate things seem to be going. Chloe grips at the fabric of Beca’s coat firmly while she looks into her best friend’s eyes sadly. Seeing the same sadness mirrored back from Beca.

“Fraid not, Beale.” the brunette replies, “I really am _so_ sorry.”

They look into each other’s eyes for a moment then pull each other into a tight hug, their eyes squeezing closed. And Chloe decides that this _can’t_ be it. This can’t be the end. They still have five years at the most. They could make _something_ work.

“Come with me back to the retreat?” she asks, her lips brushing Beca’s ear as the words trickle out of her mouth, and she feels Beca stiffen.

“Are you sure?” Beca checks cautiously, but Chloe simply nods, releasing enough of the brunette to lean back and look into her eyes.

“My husband’s with _his_ mistress all weekend under _my_ nose. Why can’t I be with _my_ mistress under _his_ nose too?”

A smirk glides involuntarily across Beca’s face as she sees the twinkle in Chloe’s eyes.

“Mistress huh?”

“Mmhmm!” Chloe responds with a tight-lipped grin, and she delights in feeling Beca’s hands impressively finding a patch of skin at the small of her back.

“I like the sound of that.”

This could be very fun, or end terribly. But either way, Chloe and Beca were willing to give it a try and find out…


	17. Chapter 17

“Look who I found!”

Chloe’s words are spoken with a slightly overcompensated confidence as she approaches the campfire she’d left her family and ‘friends’ around two hours ago. Her sons and Aubrey’s sons look up, their eyebrows rising as they recognise the famous recording artist beside Chloe. The two women immediately note that neither Chicago or Aubrey are there.

“Hey guys.” Beca says politely, raising a hand in greeting. The boys all smile awkwardly at her, clearly a little star struck, and Chloe has to remind herself that although she may have seen Beca at least once a week for over a year (and have known the woman for twenty years), the last time her sons likely saw the recording artist would’ve been briefly at her fortieth birthday party last year, then several years before that. So their reaction is understandable.

She watches as the teens before her decide to focus their attention on the fire in front of them to try to combat their teenage awkwardness, poking the end of long sticks into the flames to try to burn the tips. She watches as Beca glances at her and they both shrug with amused smiles. Then, as Chloe looks back over at her sons, she realises that their father and Aubrey are no longer with them.

“Hey where’s your father?” she asks them, her brow furrowed. And they both motion vaguely away from the fire, still staring at the flames, clearly getting tired.

“Went to help Aubrey get more s’mores ingredients.” one replies.

Chloe’s chest feels tight. Well there’s an excuse if ever she’d heard one. There’s no way Aubrey would necessarily _need_ help. Unless it was help getting into her own pants.

She knows she shouldn’t do it. That it will run the risk of her seeing something she definitely never wants to see. But Chloe clears her throat nervously and motions to a cabin across the way that she knows holds the retreat’s canteen.

“I’ll see if they need a hand.” she says, and notes the way her sons don’t seem suspicious. Nor do Aubrey’s sons for that matter. And for a moment Chloe is grateful that they’re all still so oblivious.

“Yeah, I’ll join you.” Beca adds, turning towards her to show that she’s ready to move. So the redhead leads the way slowly towards the ‘canteen cabin’. But instead of checking the front, Chloe leads them slowly around to the back.

Breath caught in her lungs and her heart racing, Chloe slowly approaches the back door. The _open_ back door. She senses Beca close behind her and is relieved that the woman isn’t touching her right now. She’s nervous. Nervous because as she stands by the back door, she can hear the sound of heavy breathing and a rhythmic knocking noise.

She shouldn’t peer inside. She _knows_ she shouldn’t. But she does. And the moment she does her stomach knots while her heart leaps into her throat.

There within the room before them, highlighted by low light from a nearby window, is the figure of her husband stood side-on to the door Chloe and Beca are stood at. His hips are rocking, connecting with the flesh of Aubrey who is currently bent forward over a prep table. They’re both mostly clothed, with their respective pants around their ankles. And their laboured breathing quickens as Chicago suddenly begins to increase his pace, thrusting in and out of Aubrey that little bit faster and faster.

His hands noticeably cling to tufts of Aubrey’s jacket either side of her waist. And Aubrey has a hand to her mouth to try to stifle her moans. She’s not doing a very good job.

“ _Cumming_.” Chicago is heard mumbling, giving three last strong thrusts into Aubrey before throwing his head back and screwing his face up. His mouth drops open and all that can be heard are light grunts from the back of his throat as he tries (and succeeds) in stifling what would’ve probably been a loud climax.

His hips still, then with a heavy exhale he pulls out of the blonde, moving her panties back in place. Aubrey stands up tall with a grin, an exhale of her own, and they both chuckle quietly while they reach down to pull their respective pants back up and secure them.

“ _I’ve been dying to do that all day._ ” Chicago murmers, his tone noticeably playful, and Aubrey continues to grin, turning to face him and pulling him gently against her.

“ _Me too_.” she mumbles back, her smile softening as he leans down to place a long kiss on her lips.

“Plus it’s hot knowing I’m gonna be leaking out of you for the rest of the night.” Chicago adds in a quiet tone against Aubrey’s lips. But it’s not so quiet that Chloe and Beca can’t hear.

Chloe feels sick, deciding - as her husband leans in to kiss Aubrey again - that she’s definitely seen and heard enough. So she turns on the spot and begins quietly walking away. She doesn’t have to check if Beca is following. She just _knows_ that she is.

—

“Beca??”

The guilty party - or rather, the _guiltier_ party - arrive back at the campfire five minutes later, surprised to see the woman there, sat between Chloe and Chloe’s youngest son. Chicago, with his arms full of bags of marshmallows, keeps his eyebrows raised.

“Wow, what’re _you_ doing here?”

He’s impressed mixed with a little confused, and Chloe’s relieved that he doesn’t seem angry. Then she figures that there’s no reason for him to be angry - there’s no signal or internet here at the retreat (though apparently Aubrey’s cabin has it as she lives here full time) and with Aubrey constantly around, Chicago has no reason to search for porn - so the man will have had no way of finding out the horror that is his wife’s explicit affair with the very woman who has now joined them.

“Chloe mentioned last week that you were here for Thanksgiving.” Beca answers, a long stick in her hand that one of Aubrey’s sons had offered her, and she pokes it half-heartedly towards the flames, “My label cancelled a meeting last minute, my folks are away for Thanksgiving, so I figured I’d turn up here and spend Thanksgiving with you guys.”

Chloe’s hands feel a little clammy despite the cool weather. It sounds like a legitimate excuse, and a good one at that (she wonders whether Beca had rehearsed it on the way here). She looks to her husband and Aubrey, both of whom stand with arms full of s’mores ingredients, looking at Beca. Then to Chloe’s surprise, Aubrey smiles.

“You always do manage to find your way back to your Bellas, huh Beca.” The blonde says with an amused tone, taking a seat opposite Beca and Chloe, across the fire from them. This sentence provides Chicago and the teenage boys (if the boys even cared) with enough information to assure them that Beca turning up for a holiday unannounced isn’t an unusual occurrence. So Chicago takes a seat beside Aubrey and says no more.

The adults say nothing, passing around the s’mores pieces. All until Aubrey says, “You’re welcome to the cabin between mine and Chicago & Chloe’s if you like?”

“Uh yeah. Thanks.” Beca replies, looking down at the s’more she’s picking apart with her fingers.

Chloe glances briefly at Beca, her heart racing as she thinks about how tempting it’ll be to sneak over to her cabin with it only being next door. But the thing that’s making her heart beat the most is due to the simplest of things: Beca’s thigh is resting alongside hers, and it really doesn’t need to be. Beca’s doing it on purpose. And she’s doing it right under the nose of Chloe’s husband.


	18. Chapter 18

So the first twelve hours that Beca’s been at the retreat has been like torture to Chloe. She hasn’t been this close to the woman without kissing her senseless in over a year. And the temptation has been overwhelming at times. So much so that come the afternoon of the next day, Chloe decides to announce that she’s going for a walk. And as expected, everyone in the group immediately declines her invitation to join her. Everyone except Beca.

The two best friends trudge along the dirt track around the outskirts of the retreat, their boots squelching in mushy winter leaves that have rotted on the ground thanks to the overnight frost. And somewhat unfortunately for their self control, their conversation turns a little more explicit than usual as they chat about the previous sexual encounters they’d experienced together in their VRX world.

“Okay…favourite location?” Chloe asks, hands in her pockets while they walk, to try to curb her temptation of taking Beca’s hand. She looks to her right and sees a grin on Beca’s face. This is fun.

“You’re gonna roll your eyes but…” Beca begins, glancing at Chloe with a touch of embarrassment, “…the recording studio.”

Chloe _does_ roll her eyes, and it causes Beca to chuckle.

“Of course you’d pick the recording studio!” Chloe teases, grinning herself as she nudges Beca with her elbow and another chuckle falls from the brunette’s mouth.

“It wasn’t the environment per say.” she counteracts, looking ahead with her hands in her pockets, “It was the scenario! I mean, I was a little dubious at first but you were right, it _was_ hotter having you go down on me under the desk while other people were in the room totally oblivious.”

Chloe grins, feeling proud that her suggestion had been so memorable - especially given that it _had_ been a few months ago (and many other scenarios since) that they’d played out that particular scenario.

“Your turn.” Beca says, looking to the sky to ponder, “Favouriiiiite…position.”

With the final word spoken Chloe watches her lover look to her with a mischievous twinkle in her eye and the redhead feels all kinds of giddy. There’s something about talking out loud about all this, out in the real world, that offers an element of risk. There’s nobody around to hear it per say - but there _could_ be if they were a little closer to the main body of the retreat.

“Me laying flat on my front,” Chloe begins, looking down at the ground as they walk, her cheeks growing a little pink while she tries not to get too embarrassed by her explicit description, “you on top of me, slipping in and out of me from behind.”

“Mmm…” Beca hums in agreement, “Good choice.”

The air around them quietens as they continue to walk, their arms nudging against each other from time to time while their minds drift to the moments they’d had sex in Chloe’s favourite position in their VRX world. Chloe’s heart skips a beat when she feels her little finger hooked by Beca’s index finger. She hasn’t walked hand in hand with anyone in a long time. This feels nice. It feels special.

“I wanna kiss you.” Beca mumbles, and a smile spreads across Chloe’s face as she turns to see Beca looking back at her with a coy smile, “But I don’t wanna run the risk of being seen.”

Chloe understands where Beca is coming from. So she squeezes the woman’s finger while giving her a wink:

“I’m sure we can sort something out.”

—

Chloe fumbles to unlock the door to the cabin she shares with her husband, Beca stood behind her checking nobody is watching. With a furrowed brow she realises she’s using the wrong key, and quickly rectifies her mistake by changing key and successfully unlocking the door.

Both Chloe and Beca tumble inside, Chloe letting out a light chuckle when Beca accidentally steps on the heel of her foot such is her enthusiasm to finally kiss the redhead. And kiss her Beca does, the door barely closing behind them with a loud slam before Beca’s hands are cupping Chloe’s cheeks and kissing her hungrily.

“How long do you think we have?” Beca mumbles against Chloe’s lips with a grin and Chloe grins back, tugging her own coat off.

“Not long.” Chloe replies, tugging at Beca’s coat, “But long enough.”

The clothes fall to the floor and upon feeling the texture of the soft skin of each other’s arms, Beca and Chloe silently decide that they probably have time to go all the way. Chloe tugs at Beca’s top successfully pulling it up and over her head, dropping it to the floor beside them. Their furious kissing resumes, both breathless thanks to the adrenaline pumping around their body.

But suddenly they hear a flush sounding from the cabin’s bathroom nearby and Beca and Chloe both snap apart. Chloe’s heart hammers against her chest in horror, her eyes as wide as Beca’s while they look at one another, terrified that whoever was in there had just heard them.

Beca leaps down onto the floor, and scrambles under the bed. Chloe watches and just as her lover disappears from view, the door to the bathroom opens. Chloe’s heart leaps into her throat as she sees her husband stop abruptly, his mouth dropping open in shock at the sight of his wife.

“Chloe!” He sounds as stunned as he looks and looks fleetingly at the bed before looking back at her again. “What’re you doing here?”

“I…” Chloe begins, pausing to try to think of an excuse while casually kicking Beca’s top under the bed, “…thought I’d come here and get dressed into warmer clothes for tonight’s bonfire.”

It’s then that she notices that her husband is stood only in his underpants, and she realises just how close they must’ve been to being caught in person by her husband who is clearly getting dressed for tonight too.

“Yeah, me too.” Chicago replies casually, turning awkwardly to his wardrobe and picking out an outfit for the chilly evening ahead. Chloe decides there’s nothing more she can do than do the same thing. So she turns to _her_ wardrobe and picks out some clothes herself.

The married couple get dressed in silence, neither looking at one another. It’s the quickest they’ve ever got ready.

Once finished Chloe hovers, a little reluctant to leave Beca locked in here until she can sneak back and let her out later. But Chicago slowly makes his way to the door of the cabin, key in hand.

“I may as well leave my key here, right?” Chloe suggests, trying not to sound too superstitious and Chicago’s eyebrows rise curiously, “I mean we don’t really need two keys huh.”

The man pauses, glances at the bed, then back at his wife to give her a curt nod, “Uh, yeah good idea.”

“I’ll just leave my key on my bedside table.” Chloe says clearly, hoping Beca will hear, placing it where she says she will.

Then she joins her husband in leaving their cabin, hoping that Beca will be okay, and feeling terrible for leaving her in there alone.

Beca, meanwhile, lays under Chloe and Chicago’s bed. Her breath is caught in her lungs, the whites of her eyes showing as she wears nothing but a bra on the top half of her body. And her heart is hammering with nerves and anxiety.

The second the door is locked and she hears Chicago and Chloe leave she gulps loudly.

“ _You and Chloe?!_ ”

The words are hissed from a very confused Aubrey who had already been hiding under the bed, in nothing but her underwear, and her brow is furrowed as she stares in shock at Beca. Chicago may not have heard Chloe and Beca kissing when the two women had tumbled into this cabin, but Aubrey sure had.

 _Shit_.


	19. Chapter 19

Chloe blows steam from the top of her coffee, a forced smile on her face as she watches her husband challenging their son and one of Aubrey’s sons to a game of air hockey. Their other son messes with a guitar in another corner of the ‘game cabin’. And Aubrey’s other two sons are playing what looks to be a violent game on a gaming console in another corner of the room.

But Chloe’s thoughts are on nobody but Beca. She’d left the woman locked in her cabin fifteen minutes ago. Why hadn’t she arrived here yet?? Not that Beca necessarily knew that she and Chicago had gone to find their sons resulting in them ending up in the ‘games cabin’. But she _had_ expected Beca to have found her by now.

Her eyes snap to the door of the cabin, and her heart sinks as she watches Aubrey step into the building, exhaling sharply at the change in temperature. The blonde looks fleetingly in Chicago’s direction, and it makes Chloe’s stomach knot when she sees her husband looking back at Aubrey with a grin. But to Chloe’s surprise, Aubrey doesn’t move over to him, she moves over to _her_ instead.

“Want a coffee?” Chloe asks, motioning to the machine behind her, and Aubrey smiles, nodding while letting out an airy “Yeah.”

The coffee is made and soon Aubrey is taking up a position beside Chloe, the two women looking out at their respective sons and the main man in their lives. Chloe’s toying with the idea of confronting her friend about the affair Aubrey is undertaking with her husband. But before she can find the words, Aubrey says something that stuns her to her core.

“ _So how long have you and Beca been having an affair?_ ”

Chloe swallows loudly, her eyes remaining on her husband who throws his hands into the air victoriously after an intensely competitive air hockey match with two of the teens. He glances over at the two women across the room, and they both smile encouragingly at him - both knowing full well he is looking over at Aubrey.

“How did you find out?” Chloe asks, a horrible sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that Aubrey has somehow found one of their VRX videos on a porn site somewhere. But to her frustration, Aubrey’s very vague.

“Never mind how I found out.” The blonde mumbles, taking a sip of her coffee, while continuing to look over at her lover who has started a new game of air hockey with his son and her son, “What matters is I know.”

The conversation falls silent for a moment while both women look out at the room before them, their respective sons playing happily while Chicago seems happy enough too. And Chloe wonders at what point did it become so okay for her husband to have such a perfect life. He is, after all, having a seemingly active sex life with the woman beside her, all while she stays at home and nurtures his sons.

Just as Chloe opens her mouth to challenge Aubrey with an equally confident “I know you’re screwing my husband so you have no excuse to have your nose turned up at me right now”, the door to the cabin opens and Beca finally steps inside. Chloe’s heart thumps in her throat as she watches Beca give both herself and Aubrey a pursed-lipped smile, then the brunette proceeds to move over to Chloe’s youngest son who is busy trying some riffs on the guitar.

“Look I’m not judging, Chloe.” Aubrey says in a quiet voice, watching Beca who chats to the youngest Walp, “It was inevitable that you two would find each other eventually after all the years you both spent pining after each other during college and the years after.” Chloe furrows her brow, wondering - if it _had_ been so obvious - why nobody had bothered to mention it to her. Perhaps she would’ve ended up with Beca much sooner. Perhaps they wouldn’t need to be having this affair now because they would’ve always been together. No Chicago. No complications. “Just…make sure it’s what you want, yeah?”

“What’s _that_ supposed to mean?” Chloe asks, her blood beginning to boil a bit, turning to glare at Aubrey.

“I’ve had three failed marriages, Chloe. It’s taken me a lot to find what I want.” Aubrey says seriously, and Chloe feels a little sick when she takes Aubrey’s ‘ _what I want_ ’ as code for ‘ _Chicago_ ’, “Learn from my mistakes. Make sure Beca is definitely what you want before-”

“-Before my husband finds out?” Chloe quickly interrupts in a low voice, relieved that the teens in the cabin are making enough noise that Chicago can’t hear their conversation.

“I’m not gonna tell him if that’s what you’re worried about.” Aubrey replies in a calm voice, her eyebrows raised to show how honest she’s being. Well…honest about _that_. Her fling with Chloe’s husband on the other hand…

“Well that’s good to know.”

Chloe doesn’t know why she feels a little calmer at her friend’s statement. At the end of the day, Aubrey is still the one as much in the wrong as she is. But the knowledge that she has a little bit longer before she’ll be forced to tell her husband about her explicit affair with Beca which has actually turned somewhat viral on many porn sites online provides Chloe with a tiny speck of solace.

“I guess I’m still baffled because I thought we told each other everything.” Aubrey dares to add, and it takes all of Chloe’s self control not to gawk at her in disbelief at how outrageous she’s being. Because _Aubrey_ is the one having a ‘secret’ fling with Chicago - Chloe’s husband. The blonde is the last person who should be feeling upset about them keeping things from each other. But instead, Chloe manages to keep a scrap of dignity, turning to look back out at the other inhabitants of the room, sipping her coffee before adding:

“Yeah, me too.”

—

The knock at the door of the cabin is loud and clear, and Chloe looks up from her glass of wine, her eyes following Beca’s figure as the brunette heads over to answer the door. It’s Aubrey, stood awkwardly at the threshold, wrapped in a winter coat, the light from the cabin lamps highlighting her features.

“I need to go over some of next weeks schedules with Chicago if that’s okay?” the blonde says, her eyes flickering over to Chicago who is sat beside Chloe. They’d come over to Beca’s cabin upon her invitation a couple of hours ago, shortly before dinner, and Aubrey had initially declined but had insisted Chloe and Chicago go without her. The teenage boys had all returned to the ‘games cabin’ after dinner.

“Um, yeah. Of course.” Chloe replies, looking to her husband while he stands from the couch. She can tell from his expression he’s excited. Her eyes find Beca, looking from Chicago to her, and there’s an expression on the brunette’s face that Chloe can’t put her finger on. As though she’s _reassuring_ Chloe that things are going to be okay.

And in a weird way, Chloe silently agrees that things _are_ going to be okay. Because they have each other. Yes, her husband is having an affair with a woman she’d once believed to be a dear friend. But Chloe still has Beca. Beca who loves her and believes in her and would do anything for her. And it’s this knowledge that gives Chloe hope.

“We’ll be about an hour?” Aubrey says once Chicago has shrugged his coat on, looking directly at Beca then Chloe, as though providing the women with timings of when she would be sending Chicago back. As though giving them the nod to spend the next hour however the two women want to spend it. No interrogation. No interruptions.

Chloe’s heart begins to beat a little faster as she watches her husband leave the cabin. And a soft smile grows on her face while she watches Beca close and lock the door up behind them. The woman leans back on the door, looking over at Chloe, and Chloe sees the way her lover’s chest rises and falls that little bit faster.

“Aubrey was under the bed when I scrambled under there earlier.” Beca explains, cutting the silence, and her smile grows as Chloe’s eyebrows rise, “She asked me to promise not to tell you that she’s sleeping with Chicago and in exchange she wouldn’t tell Chicago that you’re sleeping with me.”

A smile grows on Chloe’s face as she watches Beca slowly head towards her, hands clasped nervously in front of her stomach.

“I figured I’d skip the part where I tell her you already know about her and Chicago.” Beca adds with a shrug, and Chloe lets out a small chuckle as Beca gets down onto her knees and shuffles into a position between Chloe’s legs, wrapping her arms around Chloe’s waist, “And it looks like it’s worked in our favour.”

Chloe nods with a low hum, and leans her upper body forward, bringing her hands up to cup Beca’s cheeks.

“You’re amazing.” Chloe mumbles, before closing the space between them, and kissing Beca heavily on the lips.

So far, so good.


	20. Chapter 20

Chloe stands at the kitchen sink of her marital home, compiling lunches for her sons to take to school with them. The radio plays a song from the charts, providing background music for the start of her day. She notes the morning light finally appearing on the plants and discarded sports equipment in the back yard, and a soft smile spreads on her face.

It’s been three weeks since Thanksgiving. Three weeks since there seemed to be this weird unspoken agreement that Aubrey would take Chicago off somewhere from time to time while Beca and Chloe got to spend quality time together. That time, however, is no longer present. Beca has returned to work, recording a new album in LA, while Chloe has returned to domestic life in Atlanta. Christmas is slowly approaching, and although Chloe has had little to no contact with her lover since the panic that had been Beca’s privacy being hacked, she still lives day-to-day in the hope that Beca might turn up on her doorstep. Just like she always seems to do.

Her husband enters the kitchen, tugging a jacket around his body. He reaches for his car keys that sit on a hook near the back door and Chloe furrows her brow.

“You not having breakfast?” she asks, looking at him curiously. For some reason Chicago doesn’t meet her eyes.

“Aubrey’s organised the retreat team to have breakfast all together this morning.” He says with a shrug, reaching for his thermos that Chloe has filled with coffee, ready for his drive to work.

“Okay.” Chloe replies, because she knows there’s a high chance that’s not the truth. That it’s likely Aubrey has just put on a breakfast exclusively for _him_. They don’t kiss goodbye anymore. They don’t kiss hello. In fact, they don’t kiss at all.

“Will you be home for dinner?” she asks, just as Chicago unlocks the back door.

“Probably not. We’ve got a new group arriving from Carolina this morning. They’ll need settling in and organising.” Chicago explains, hovering in the doorway but clearly in a hurry to leave. Chloe takes a moment to look at him properly. The man she’d once been in love with. The man she’d once called her husband. The man she no longer knows.

“Okay, well call me on the way home if you need a meal.” she replies, knowing full well that her husband won’t get signal at the retreat to be able to call her there.

“Will do.” he says with a nod, and leaves the house, slamming the door behind him.

Chloe watches out the window as her husband trudges down to his car. A soft smile creeps back onto her face when she hears the opening to Beca’s new song begin playing on the radio. She notes the way Chicago sits in his car for a couple of moments, presumably sending a text to Aubrey to let her know that he’s on his way. As he turns the ignition on, the sound of Beca’s song on the radio blasts from the car speakers and Chloe thinks it funny that her husband is listening to a song that has been secretly written for his wife.

As Chicago reverses out of the driveway, Chloe resumes compiling her sons’ lunches, humming to Beca’s catchy tune. But as the tune comes to an end, she suddenly freezes.

“BECA there with ‘ _After All This Time_ ’. And hey, have you heard what’s been going down with BECA recently?” One radio presenter says.

“Is this the whole VRX hacking scandal thing?” The other radio presenter asks and their colleague chuckles.

“Yeah! Turns out BECA’s been using the VRX system to have a _very_ explicit virtual relationship _with another woman_!”

“ _No_!”

“Yeah! And I have to say dude, I looked it up last night and hoo boy is it hardcore.”

Chloe feels the blood drain from her face as she drops a knife into the sink with a loud _clang_. What the hell happened to the media _not_ getting hold of this information for another five years?? She starts to feel clammy, panicking when she hears the male radio presenters laughing together.

The redhead’s eyes snap to the door of the kitchen as she hears her sons bounding downstairs, ready to grab their lunches before running for the school bus. She _can’t_ let them hear the radio. So she practically dives for the device on a shelf across the room.

“Hey was that Beca’s new song on the radio?” her eldest asks, and Chloe whips back around, feeling anxious while he and his brother shrug their winter coats on.

“Oh, um, yeah.” Chloe stutters, pushing her hair back from her face.

“She’s so cool.” her youngest gushes, and if Chloe wasn’t feeling so flustered she would agree with him. But instead she swallows loudly. Oh God, if it was being talked about on the radio then it’s _bound_ to be mentioned at the boys’ school. And having not seen the videos herself, she’s no idea if the teens would be able to work out that she’s the one Beca has been so adventurous with in the VR Sex department.

“Don’t forget your lunches, boys.” She calls out to them as they head out the door and they quickly snatch the brown bags before running out of the house, the door swinging shut behind them.

Chloe stands, her mouth open in shock as she stares at the closed door. _Shit_.

The house phone rings loudly, echoing around the empty dwelling and Chloe practically jumps out of her skin. The phone rarely rings, particularly at this time of day, and her head quickly looks over at the device. On and on it rings until Chloe plucks up the courage to answer it and with a shaky voice she speaks:

“Hello?”

“It’s me.” Chloe’s chest tightens at the sound of Beca’s voice and almost shrieks about what she’s heard on the radio, but Beca doesn’t give her time, “I heard the radio. I’m on a pay phone. You got your old VRX console?”

“Yeah of course, I-” Chloe is cut off mid-sentence and she realises just how rushed Beca sounds.

“-Get it out and go on Sims.”

“But-”

“-I’ve been assured by the developers that the hackers have only been able to access games via the new VRX system and update. The old system is good.”

Chloe’s stunned but finds herself heading for the cupboard in the lounge where her old VRX system is stored, the phone still to her ear, “O-Okay.”

“Now, when you start Sims up I need you to enter a new code.” Beca instructs clearly down the phone, “No spaces: your birth month in capitals, your middle name lower case, then my birth month in capitals, then the year we first met. _No spaces_.”

Chloe fumbles for the console and game, connecting it all up while listening to Beca, her heart thumping away. She’s still panicking. She has no idea if this is even safe.

“It’s a new neighbourhood I’ve created. It almost completely guarantees we won’t be caught.”

Caught? By _who_?? Hackers? Paparazzi? Beca’s fans? The media?

Chloe finds the VRX charm, connects it to her temple, then watches as the homescreen for ‘Sims X’ appears on her TV screen. She keys in the passcode Beca provided her, and exhales in relief when it works first time.

“Okay.” She says with another exhale, “I’m ready.” She hears Beca exhale in relief.

“Okay, I’ll meet you there now. I love you.”

Chloe ends the call, places the phone down beside the game controller and sits back on the couch. She swallows loudly, then presses the charm on her temple. She’s immediately tugged from reality and into the new VRX world that Beca has created.

And she’s done all of it without checking the doors to her house are locked in the real world.


	21. Chapter 21

Chloe _pops_ into the game, opening her eyes and immediately squeezing them shut again. The sun is bright and blazing right at her. Her ears can pick up the distinct sound of voices. A _lot_ of voices. And she can smell a mix of beer and dirt. And Beca’s perfume.

“Sorry babe.” Beca’s voice can be heard beside her, “Think I over did it on the sunlight setting.”

A smile sweeps onto Chloe’s face when she feels a pair of sunglasses being slipped into her hand. But rather than place them on her face, she turns towards Beca who is sat beside her and opens her eyes. Her mouth drops open in surprise.

Initially the surprise is the sight of Beca not looking quite how VRX Beca normally looks. She’s got a New York Yankies baseball cap on and sunglasses on her own face. But there’s something _different_ that Chloe can’t quite put her finger on. Something beautiful. Physically.

“Yeah I uh, thought I’d have my Sim sporting a few extra pounds.” Beca explains, a little embarrassed as she looks down the length of her own body, “It’s weird but I figured I’d be less recognisable. Plus this is probably what I’d look like if my metabolism wasn’t so good in the real world so…”

Chloe just beams at the brunette. Because Beca looks _healthy_ and _happy_. And as always Chloe adores every inch of her. No matter what Beca looks like, she’ll always be _her_ Beca. The woman she’s been in love with for years.

“And how do you feel?” is Chloe’s first question, watching as Beca slips her own sunglasses from her eyes to reveal a makeup-less face. It causes Chloe’s heart to skip a beat, having always admired Beca’s natural beauty.

“Actually really good!” Beca replies in a slightly surprised tone, “Fingers crossed I might be able to find a miracle food one day in the real world that might help me maintain a healthier weight and won’t interfere with my ridiuclous digestive system.” Chloe continues to watch Beca in delight as the woman looks around them, adding, “So what do you think?”

Chloe reluctantly looks away from Beca and for the first time truly observes the new VRX world that Beca has created for them. They’re sat in a full baseball stadium. Surrounding them are fans - all VR of course - and their facial details are outstanding. Beca has clearly put a lot of time and effort into creating each Sim around them. All are wearing baseball caps, just as Beca and Chloe are. And it’s this detail that causes Chloe to realise that _this_ is how Beca will keep them practically anonymous.

“It’s amazing!” Chloe gushes, turning back to Beca with a softer smile, “Not your best work of course.” she adds, referring to Beca’s creation of _their_ Brooklyn and _their_ Barden, “But it’s still _very_ impressive!”

Beca grins, clearly proud of her latest creation. And for a moment Chloe quickly steps out of the perfect bubble, remembering their reality back in the real world.

“And it’s safe?” she checks and Beca grins.

“Yep! The amount of Sims in this stadium makes it almost impossible for us to be found. Add to that the complication of a new code to enter this particularly game that’s a mix of your details and mine means we’re guaranteed privacy right now.”

Chloe can’t help the broad smile on her face, relief passing through her body and into her heart. They have time. They have privacy.

She watches as Bec swoops forward to place a kiss on Chloe’s mouth. Chloe returns the pressure having missed Beca desperately since last seeing her at Thanksgiving in the real world.

“I missed you.” Beca mumbles against Chloe’s lips and the redhead smiles.

“I missed you too.”

The crowd around them suddenly rises to their feet, cheering, and over the tannoy a commentator announces a home run. Chloe and Beca grin at each other. And Chloe has to admit, this is a clever way for them not to get caught.

“So the media have started talking.” Chloe begins and Beca nods, her face dropping as she looks back at Chloe with a grim expression, “How did you know I’d heard it on the radio?”

“Because you’ve listened to the same radio station every morning for as long as I’ve known you.” Beca replies with a soft smile, “And I listen to it every night to be closer to you during the time difference.”

Chloe tugs her bottom lip between her teeth at how sweet Beca’s being. How sweet Beca’s _always_ been. And she can’t help the light chuckle that builds as Beca’s cheeks flush slightly in embarrassment.

“Not…not like a stalker.” the brunette hastily adds, and Chloe takes her hands, accidentally knocking their sunglasses to the ground.

“It’s okay, babe. It’s sweet.” she replies in an amused tone as the crowd cheer again, and she bends down to collect the sunglasses from the ground. It’s then that she realises Beca’s chosen to design _her_ Sim exactly how her body is in the real world as a forty one year old. And Chloe doesn’t hate it. In fact, because she’s with Beca and so wrapped up in being with her, she’s not had a reason to feel uncomfortable with her appearance.

It’s refreshing.

But just as she sits up, her stomach knots. Because a loud voice echoes in the air around them. But it’s not from the stadium tannoy.

“ _MOM_?”

Chloe’s eyes widen in horror as she stares back at Beca who looks at her in equal shock.

“Were you not alone when you came into the game?” Beca asks, and Chloe suddenly feels herself go a little shaky. Oh God, she forgot to lock the doors. She’d _never_ forgotten to lock the doors!

“They must’ve forgotten something for school!” Chloe quickly cries out, looking to the sky as though expecting to see her sons appear, and remembering just how bright the sunlight setting is. She quickly looks back at the brunette.

“Go!” Beca bursts, reaching for Chloe’s hands and giving her a quick kiss on the lips, “I’ll meet you back here in an hour.”

Chloe nods, lurching forward to kiss te woman on the lips again. But no sooner do her lips meet Beca’s, she’s tugged painfully from the VRX world and her eyes snap open. Her stomach feels knotted as she blinks and sees her two sons standing over her, looking confused, one holding the VRX charm that had once been on her temple.

“Since when have we had a VRX console?”


	22. Chapter 22

Chloe grips the steering wheel of her car, staring up at the red traffic light. She grits her teeth, trying to think of anything but the time, yet in doing so is thinking of nothing but. Fifty minutes. Fifty _frikkin_ minutes since she’d left Beca and their new VRX world. And she looks to be no closer to getting home.

“Can I turn the radio on?” her eldest son asks, reaching for the dash, but quick as a flash Chloe slaps his hand away.

“ _Don’t_ touch anything!” she snaps, then continues to glare out of the windscreen. She sees out of her periphery her son turn to look over his shoulder at his brother, both presumably wondering what has got her so irate. Truth is Chloe rarely loses her temper. But she feels close to the edge right now.

Stress isn’t a good look on the forty one year old. And she hasn’t had much reason to feel stressed over the past year or so. Right now, however, she feels _really_ stressed. Stressed because she had to end her conversation with Beca so abruptly. Stressed because her sons now know that there’s a VRX console in the house - a VRX console they’ll likely want to use. Stressed because the media are now talking about Beca’s sex life in what she assumes is great detail. Stressed because she only has five minutes left before she needs to be back home and back in the VRX world or Beca will worry. Stressed because she has almost dropped her kids off at school but it will take her forty minutes to get back home (“I didn’t _mean_ to leave my science project at home, Mom!”). Stressed because there’s a chance her husband will have heard about Beca’s VRX sexscapades on the radio and will end up asking her about it when he gets home from work tonight.

“Did I tell you I’m sorry?”

And Chloe’s eyes flutter closed while she lets out a heavy sigh. Because yes, her sons had apologised over and over when they saw how sick their Mom had been following the interruption of the VRX game. Turns out vertigo is a cruel side effect of being broken out of a VRX game without ending the game yourself.

“Yeah I know kiddo.” Chloe says, ruffling her son’s hair, much to his dismay, and as she begins driving through the green lights he assesses the state of his appearance in the mirror of the sun visor. “Just…be careful next time, yeah?”

“Who were you meeting?” her youngest asks and Chloe swallows loudly, keeping her eyes on the road.

“Why do you think I was meeting someone?”

“Because you were playing ‘Sims X’. _Everyone_ knows that’s the game you play to socialise.” comes the reply.

“Or get laid.” Chloe’s eldest pipes up with a smirk and Chloe swats at his arm as a form of scolding him. To which he simply grins, “Whaaat it’s true!”

Chloe says nothing and rolls her eyes. But her neck has started flushing pink in embarrassment. Because Sims X was exactly what she and Beca had been using as a platform to have sex. _Amazing_ sex.

“So you weren’t meeting anyone.”

Chloe opens her mouth, lets out a tiny grunt, then sighs, “I…waaas meeting.. _Beca_.” there’s no point in lying “Yeah, she has a super busy schedule and using Sims X means we can meet up whenever wherever.” and she shrugs. Yeah, that seems like a perfectly legit answer. No further questions need be asked. And to her relief they finally pull up to the school.

—

Chloe crashes through the back door, hastily closing and locking it behind her. Then she careers into the lounge and switches the deserted VRX console back on. The VRX charm causes a little buzz on her usual temple so she switches sides, then proceeds to hammer in the passcode for the new neighbourhood. She sits back on the couch, still breathless from her run from the car, and enters the game.

The sun feels a little less intense in the baseball stadium this time and Chloe assumes Beca has adjusted that particular setting since leaving the game the first time around. She pops into that seat like last time. But to her dismay, Beca is nowhere to be seen. She’s not sat next to her. She doesn’t even appear to be on the steps nearby.

“ _BECA_?” she yells out, but there’s no answer over the sound of the crowd cheering around her.

Chloe’s shoulders slump. She knew it was too good to be true to hope that Beca would _still_ be here waiting for her - almost an hour and a half after agreeing to re-meet. The problem was, Chloe now had no idea how to get in contact with Beca. The woman had jacked-in her cellphone after the hacking scandal three weeks back, her PR team still deal with her social media pages, and she doesn’t have a ‘home phone’ back in LA. VRX is the only way. And she clearly isn’t here any more.

Chloe toys with the idea of waiting it out. But after ten minutes she lets out a defeated sigh, looks to the sky, and yells out “Game Over” before clapping her hands. She will just have to wait until Beca hopefully calls her again. That will be the only way.

—

Four hours later and Chloe is stood a little _less_ patiently in the kitchen. She’s dared to put the radio back and is relieved that since first thing this morning there’s been no more mention of Beca beyond the playing of her latest song. No contact from the woman either.

The redhead’s brow furrows as she stands at the kitchen sink, washing up after baking a carrot cake, looking out the window. She sees Chicago’s car pull into the driveway. And suddenly her stomach drops.

Because Chicago practically launches himself out of the vehicle, not even bothering to shut the door behind him. He strides purposefully through the back yard towards the house. And he looks _furious_.

Chloe swallows loudly. _Shit_. He knows.


	23. Chapter 23

“ _Chloe_?”

The name is barked angrily at her as Chicago attempts and fails to open the back door. Chloe stands, somewhat terrified, at the kitchen sink, looking from her angry husband down to the key hanging in the back door then back up at Chicago once again. She’s never seen him look so angry.

“Chloe open the door!” he demands when he tries to shove his keys into the lock.

For a moment she considers not unlocking the door. He’s angry. And she knows exactly why. Goodness knows what he might do to her or the house.

But after a couple of moments she concludes he’d never physically hurt her. So with a deep breath she steps over to the kitchen door and unlocks it. Her breath catches in her throat when her husband barges past her and further into the room, beginning to pace somewhat irrationally. Like a caged animal. And she can tell by the look on his face that he’s found out who Beca has been screwing in the VRX world. That she’s been screwing his wife. She realises Aubrey must’ve told him after all.

“It was _you_??” Chicago begins, not looking at Chloe, and for a moment she wonders if he’s saying things for his own benefit, “ _You’ve_ been having sex - _hardcore_ sex - with Beca? In a virtual reality world??”

Chloe has nothing to say. Because yes, he’s right, she has. So she remains quiet, the door closing over while she moves back to the kitchen sink. She keeps her eyes on him as eventually Chicago turns to her, stopping on the spot. It’s like he’s seeing her clearly for the first time in _months_.

“You’ve been doing… _everything_ with her. Stuff you wouldn’t even do with me!”

Chloe lets out a shaky exhale and nods, “I trust her with my body.” is her first simple answer. It causes Chicago’s brow to furrow.

“You don’t trust me with your body? Your own husband?”

Chloe decides she doesn’t want to answer. _It’s different_. But she knows that won’t be enough for Chicago to hear.

“How did you find out?” she asks, wondering if Chicago wil dare mention Aubrey’s name. If he does then she has the perfect reason to ask him about her. To turn the tables.

“The radio this morning.” he replies in a bitter tone, “They mentioned Beca’d been having sex with some woman in her VRX game.”

“And how did you find out it was me.” Chloe asks, her brow now furrowing. Because at no point did the presenters mention the features of Chloe during their vague description of the videos.

“Well I looked them up when I was at work of course. I saw your ladybug tattoo when she was…screwing you from behind on the Brooklyn kitchen table.” Chicago replies, and in an odd way, Chloe’s tight chest relaxes. Here she goes.

“I thought there wasn’t any WiFi or signal at the retreat except for Aubrey’s cabin?”

Chicago’s throat noticeably contracts at her observation, and he clears it post-swallow.

“Chicago…what were you doing in Aubrey’s cabin watching Beca’s porn when the canteen, your office, and all other activities are held on the other side of the retreat?”

The kitchen goes silent and Chloe already feels victorious. Because Chicago doesn’t have any more of a right to be angry than she does. They’ve both cheated. Seriously cheated. Their marriage is a sham and they both know it. They’ve only stayed together for the sake of their sons.

They both hear a car door slam and a pair of feet running up to the back door. A breathless Aubrey crashes into the kitchen, letting out a loud “Chicago!” as though immediately prepared to calm her lover down. But she hesitates the moment Chloe and Chicago look at her.

Chloe lets out a light chuckle, rolling her eyes, and Aubrey brings her hands up in defence, “Chloe, I-I can explain-”

But suddenly the back door hits the blonde in the back, and the woman is shoved forward. To _everyone’s_ surprise Beca careers into the kitchen, looking as breathless and worried. Worry that seems to momentarily waiver when she clasps eyes on Chloe looking unharmed.

The four adults look at one another, now all entirely in the know. And the worst part about being adults? Is they’re going to have to talk about it…


	24. Chapter 24

“ _You_!” Chicago bellows, pointing at Beca, and the brunette’s eyebrows rise. Chloe expects Beca to stiffen and strengthen. To puff her chest out maybe and get defensive - such was her character back in college. But to her surprise Beca just stands there, near the door of the kitchen, clearly unsure of what to do. Clearly unsure of what has already been said before her arrival.

“You seduced my wife.” Chicago accuses, aggravation to his tone, and Chloe looks to him in shock. Is _that_ what he thinks happened?? “You bought her that VRX console. You created that world for her in the game. You’ve had your eyes on her for years!”

“She’s had her eyes on me too.” Beca says in some sort of attempt to defend herself, though Chloe admits it’s a _terrible_ defence. “It was only a matter of ti-” but before Beca can finish her sentence Chicago let’s out a growl and strides towards her.

Chloe’s heart leaps into her throat as she throws herself between her husband and her lover, her arms outstretched to attempt to stop him. And to her surprise she hears the very words she speaks said at the same time by Aubrey:

“Chicago no!”

Except…Aubrey’s “Chicago” is actually “Babe” and for a moment Chloe lets the pet name her old friend is now using for her husband sink in. The blonde has stepped between Beca and Chicago too in the same manner as Chloe. And while it surprises Chloe to see her husband’s lover defend her own lover, it also adds a tiny scrap of solace. A _very_ tiny scrap.

Her eyes are drawn to Aubrey’s slender hand, the palm of which is now pressed against Chicago’s chest. And she notes the way her husband seems to calm at the contact. It pains her to watch.

“How long has _this_ been going on for?” Chloe asks, motioning to Aubrey’s hand, and both Chicago and Aubrey step apart, the blonde bringing back her hand. They look awkwardly down at the ground.

“It’s noth-” Chicago begins but Chloe isn’t up for niceties. Particularly not after his behaviour just now.

“-Oh cut the crap. Don’t think I haven’t noticed the way you sneak off together whenever we meet up with the boys. Or the looks you give each other across the room.” she snaps, revelling in the way Aubrey and Chicago both quickly turn sheepish.

Chloe is frustrated by their silence. Frustrated that her husband would come here and get angry at her, when he’s been having an intense _daily_ affair himself.

“So how did it start?” she eventually asks, folding her arms, indicating she’ll happily wait all day (though she’s keen to get it sorted by the time her sons get home from school).

“When Mike left me,” Aubrey begins, looking up at Chloe with sorrow in her eyes, “I’d-”

“-When _Mike_ left you??” Beca blurts with a frown, revealing her surprise at the event that had happened four years ago. But Aubrey looks a little annoyed that she’s been interrupted already.

“Yes when Mike left me, _I’d been in pieces_.” Aubrey emphasises the words she would’ve used to finish the sentence, and Beca raises her hands briefly in quick apology of the interruption. Aubrey lets out a sharp exhale before looking to Chloe to continue, “Chicago offered to help out with paperwork while I got my head back on straight. You’d just had that cancer scare, the rest of The Bellas were struggling with their own life troubles, Beca was completely off the radar. Even _Fat Amy_ was out of action due to that lizard of hers having to be put down.”

Chloe remembers the time well. Remembers that their friends had all had something life changing going on that year. She’d shared the news of her cancer scare in their group WhatsApp, always firmly believing that the support of The Bellas would serve her well as it always had done. And it seemed to have worked. At least, that’s what she’d thought. Little did she know that while she’d been going through that scary time, her own husband was actually supporting someone else!

“I was lonely and struggling with work and coming to terms with another failed marriage and the huge task that’d now be raising three sons by three men. Chicago inadvertently became a shoulder to cry on.”

Chloe’s eyes drift shut for a moment. Typical dependable Chicago. Too kind for his own good sometimes. At least, he _had_ been. Clearly he’s become as swept up in this affair as Aubrey has.

“I never meant to kiss her, Chloe.” Chicago says in a quiet voice, and Chloe’s eyes open to look from him to Aubrey and back again, “It just happened.”

He kissed Aubrey first. There was the confirmation. And while Chloe thought she’d be okay with hearing about how this _thing_ between her husband and his lover had started, it was still horrible to have to ask questions to paint a clearer picture of the beginning.

“When?” she asks, her voice cutting cleanly through the air around them. She watches as her husband swallows loudly before taking a breath.

“Three Christmasses ago.” he says, and it has Chloe’s chest tightening. Three years.

“Let me guess, under a bunch of mistletoe?” Beca offers, and Chloe grimaces as Aubrey and Chicago shuffle awkwardly on the spot.

“So, let me get this right…I was stuffed at home, staring through those doctors notes over and over to check that they hadn’t missed something or got something wrong. Checking that I definitely _didn’t_ have cancer. And all the while you’d been working ‘overtime’ at the retreat to _comfort_ _her_??”

“If you’d been there you would’ve done the same-” Chicago begins.

“-You’re right, I would’ve. But she never gave me the chance.” Chloe says, turning to Aubrey and pointing at her husband, “You _chose_ him.”

“I understand that it looks that way Chloe. Really.” Aubrey replies in a nervous tone, “But he was there. He offered to take on some more of the workload while I went through divorce proceedings. And that required him to use my office at home-”

Chloe groans over the last word, bringing her hands to her face while Aubrey sounds a little more desperate:

“We got really close and-”

“-Eventually kissed under the mistletoe.” Beca finishes. But her sentence isn’t warmly received by the man of this house. Chicago frowns, pointing at her.

“You don’t get to judge.” He snaps, “I’ve seen some videos of the things you and my wife did together. You guys are hardly saints.”

“Yeah and why the hell are _you_ angry about it? _You’re_ the one who’s been cheating on _her_ for three years!” Beca responds in the stubborn defensive tone Chloe had been expecting from her earlier.

“Because she was fine doing certain stuff with you that she flat out refused to do with me!” Chicago eventually bursts, and the kitchen falls silent while the mouths of all three women drop open. Chicago is _jealous_. Jealous that his wife trusted someone else more than him to partake in something he’d so desperately longed to do.

“Look, Chicago,” Chloe says with a sigh, “those times in the game that I had a penis and used it to have sex with Beca…they were-”

“-You did what?” Chicago quickly asks, and Chloe swallows loudly. Shit. Was he not talking about that thing where he once wanted Chloe to don a strap-on and take _him_ instead of him taking her? “You _fucked_ her?”

His tone is a mix of disbelief, disgust, and frustration. And they ring in Chloe’s ears. Because yes, she had. On several occasions. In the VR recording studio. In the VR nightclub - _twice_. In the VR Brooklyn apartment. In the VR Bellas House - or rather, three rooms in the VR Bellas house…

“Was that not what you were referring to?” she asks and he screws his face up.

“ _No_!” he cries out, and Chloe feels a little guilty. It can’t be easy to find out your wife cheated on you by fucking another woman. With a functioning penis. “I was talking about _anal_!”

Chloe’s eyebrows raise. Oh yeah. _That_. She could never understand his obsession with wanting to try it. But trying it with Beca in a game that meant no pain or discomfort would be felt, just pleasure, had had Chloe enjoying every moment.

“You fucked my wife in the ass!” Chicago bellows at Beca in a higher pitched tone that suggests he’s starting to lose control of his fuse. “Nobody should get to do that but me!”

“Uh _excuse_ me but nobody should get to do _anything_ with Chloe’s body unless she gives permission!” Beca responds protectively, and it has Chloe’s heart skip a beat for a moment, “She kept telling you no. She eventually _asked_ _me_. That’s not my fault!”

“You tricked her!” Chicago attempted to accuse, but Chloe simply rolled her eyes while Beca folded her arms.

“Oh yeah, right, you got me, I‘ve been sooooo desperate to cum in your wife’s ass since I first met her!” Beca retorts in a slick sarcastic tone which, had the topic not been about her, Chloe would’ve laughed about. Because a sarcastic Beca was an amusing Beca. “Stop being a dick!”

Beca’s grumbled sentence at the end had Aubrey suddenly becoming quietly defensive, and Chloe sighed as things started to get a little out of control again.

“Don’t call him a dick, Beca. He’s entitled to be upset.”

“Fuck off is he!”

“Okay _stop_!” Chloe says firmly, and the three other adults in the room look to her, “Chicago, you shouldn’t be getting angry at Beca because she’s been a more fulfilling partner for me both physically and emotionally, so _back_ _off_.” she begins, not waiting for his answer which he seems very ready to give.

Instead she looks to Aubrey, ignoring the victorious smirk on Beca’s face, “Aubrey, Beca’s right, he _isn’t_ entitled to be upset. He started his affair with you long before I started mine with Beca.” she watches as Aubrey’s mouth snaps shut, though the blonde’s eyebrows rise.

Finally Chloe looks to Beca, her expression softening but her voice still having a hint of firmness to it, “And Beca, this is a huge deal for everyone. Yes they’re bastards for starting their affair _three years ago_.” She motions to Aubrey and Chicago who wear awkward expressions, “But at the end of the day, we had an affair too. We’re hardly angels here.”

Chloe notes that Beca’s smirk is no longer present, and the brunette nods. With an exhale, as though _relieved_ that the air is finally clearing, Chloe looks to all three adults with a slightly optimistic expression.

“Okay, so I don’t know about you guys but whatever happens next we need to do it for the best of the boys.” she looks specifically at Aubrey, “All _five_ of them.”

Beca, Aubrey, and Chicago nod in agreement and Chloe nods in return. They all still have a duty to the teens who will soon become young men. Who will soon be exposed to the reality of what their mother has been up to in a VRX world the past year and a half. The room falls silent.

Chloe isn’t sure when it happened but Aubrey now stands directly beside Chicago, her index finger hooked in his pinky finger. And although Chloe feels uncomfortable with it, she knows that she won’t feel that way forever. That she’s pleased that at least her husband will have someone to distract him while she goes off with Beca.

“So what do we do now?” Chicago eventually asks, and the grownups all look at one another.

“Coffee?” Beca suggests, looking to Chloe with an affectionate smile and a twinkle in her eyes. And Chloe smiles affectionately back at her. Because yeah, most great plans start with a cup of coffee. Everything is going to be okay.


	25. Chapter 25

Chloe kisses her sons goodbye, handing them each a lunch bag for school, then watches with a calm smile on her face as they trundle out of the house and down to the car.

“Hope you have a good few days, Chlo.” she hears her husband say, and she looks over her shoulder as he strides into the kitchen from the hallway of their marital home. He looks relaxed. Excited. And Chloe has to admit, she feels relaxed and excited too.

“You too.” she replies, accepting a quick peck on the cheek before watching him step out of the back door and head for the car where their sons have now climbed inside, waiting for him with their respective music on. Chloe stands patiently at the door and waves them off. Then with a deep breath, she closes the back door and locks it up. She slowly heads for the front door to check that it’s locked. And with a satisfied sigh, she ascends the staircase.

It’s been three months since Chicago had found out about Chloe’s affair with Beca. Three months since Chloe had called him out in on _his_ affair with _Aubrey_. And three months since all four adults had come to a mutual agreement.

_“So we’re agreed.” Chloe begins, sat around the kitchen table, looking from Beca sat beside her, over to Aubrey and Chicago sat opposite her, more specifically her husband, “We remain married but separated, and still live together here with our boys. The boys will spend every other weekend at the retreat with you guys.” she adds and both Chicago and Aubrey nod._

_“I’ll take them to school on my way to work on the Friday so you don’t run the risk of them pulling you out of the game again - if you choose to play it right away.” Chicago says, having initially been a little horrified when Chloe had described the side effects from that particular incident, “I’ll then go to work, the boys can catch the bus to the retreat with Aubrey’s boys after school, and we’ll stay there until Monday when all five boys can take the bus to school from the retreat.”_

_“Yep, then you’ll commute for eleven days until the following Friday when you’ll do it all again.” Chloe adds, watching while Chicago gives a nod of confirmation._

_“I’ll be available on VRX during that long weekend that Chicago and the boys are away.” Beca contributes, looking from Chicago to Chloe._

_“And we’re in agreement that if at any time Beca is free in the week to visit she can.” Chloe says, looking to her husband to check he’s not changed his mind. Because Beca has no idea of knowing her schedule far in advance. Free time is rare and often spontaneous. To Chloe’s delight Chicago nods, giving Beca a pursed-lipped smile._

_“The weekend that Chicago and the boys aren’t at the retreat is the weekend my sons are with their dad’s.” Aubrey says in a slightly timid tone, “Am I maybe able to come here for dinner on the Saturday or something?”_

_“Yeah.” Chloe agrees, a little disappointed that she doesn’t have such a luxury with Beca, “Or you could always both go out for dinner or drinks alone? Like a proper date? I’ll stay home with the boys.”_

_She watches as Chicago and Aubrey raise their eyebrows in surprise, looking to one another with small smiles._

_“Um, yeah, that’d be great. Thanks.” Aubrey says, looking to Chloe gratefully, “And, of course if you and Beca need some sort of sanctuary away from potential paparazzi then you’re always welcome at the retreat. I’m sure Chicago would watch your boys.”_

_“Definitely.” Chicago agrees._

_Chloe feels her heart skip a beat at the idea of such a wonderful thing. This seems to be working already. Actually getting Beca to herself in the real world without any interruptions or worry. Perfection._

_“Great.” Chloe says, letting out a happy sigh as she looks over at Beca with contentment._

_“What about Christmas?”_

_Chloe turns to Aubrey no sooner does the blonde finish her sentence, and her husband and lover do the same too. Aubrey looks to each of them while she elaborates:_

_“I’ve got the boys this Christmas and I know it’s only a few weeks away but…it falls on the weekend when you and your boys would be at the retreat.” Aubrey says to Chicago then looks sheepishly over at Chloe, “Did you all maybe want to spend Christmas at the retreat? We’ll have a similar setup to Thanksgiving - the boys having their own cabin - but the difference maybe being that you and Beca have your own cabin and…Chicago stays in mine?”_

_Chloe’s surprised that Aubrey has even factored Beca in. And as she glances at the brunette she sees that Beca is equally surprised. But Chicago just smiles. And they smile back._

_“Sounds like a good plan.” he replies, looking at Chloe and Beca while Aubrey squeezes his thigh in excitement._

_“Basically from now on we all just need to be more honest with each other.” Chloe summarises, and the three other people at the table nod in agreement. “It’ll help us navigate these changes while trying to keep life as normal as possible for the boys over the next few years.”_

_“And in the meantime I’ll get to work on a lawsuit that’ll hopefully mean the boys never find out that it was you in those videos.” Beca adds, and Chloe and Chicago look to her gratefully._

Chloe steps into her marital bedroom and closes the door behind her. There at the foot of the bed is her old VRX console - the safe console - and on her bedside table is a glass of water, her VRX charm, and her VRX controller. All set up for what will be a long weekend of gaming.

She lays on the bed and faces the tv across the room. On it is the _Sims X_ menu screen. She places the VRX charm on her temple, takes a gulp of water, then takes hold of the controller.

Chloe lays back with a smile on her face, closes her eyes, then presses the green button…


	26. Chapter 26

Before Chloe opens her eyes, she hears the sound of seagulls squawking in the distance and the ocean waves crashing onto the shore. She feels the hot sun on her skin, and soft sand beneath her fingers as her right arm hangs from what she suspects is a large sunlounger that she’s laying on. She smells the salt of the ocean.

Then suddenly a clear _crack_ sounds. Like the sound of a plastic bottle opening. A smile drifts onto her face and that’s when she turns towards the sound and opens her eyes.

She brings her right hand up to block out the sun and sees Beca sat up beside her on the same sunlounger. Chloe’s never known one to be wide enough to accommodate two adults before. But then she remembers this is a VRX world. Anything is possible.

She looks up into Beca’s eyes and her heart skips a beat. _Finally_. Together again at last.

It’s been two weeks since she last saw Beca - the curse of the brunette having a small promo tour around the country that’s had her busy almost 24/7 for fifteen days - so Chloe’s practically buzzing with excitement as she sees Beca smiling affectionately down at her while holding a bottle of sun lotion.

“You said you were craving a beach vacation.” is the first thing Beca says, “So I figured I’d design the most beautiful beach possible for you.”

Chloe takes the time to glance at the environment around them, admiring the perfect white sand which had felt so soft beneath her fingers moments ago. The tropical looking ocean crashing against the shore. The bright blue sky with not a cloud in sight. Some shade provided some distance down the beach by a cluster of palm trees. And a little way behind them sits the most luxurious looking little accommodation, the bifold windows of which are currently wide open, the light white curtains curling out at the sides thanks to the warm breeze.

“It’s breathtaking.” Chloe says in a soft tone, still hardly able to believe that being able to meet up with Beca like this is possible now that there’s nothing to get in their way. “Just like you.” she quirps, and her heart soars at the sight of Beca becoming embarrassed by the compliment, the brunette rolling her eyes and bringing her free hand to her face.

“Nerd.” she mumbles, and Chloe lets out a chuckle, reaching up to pull Beca’s hand from her face.

It’s this movement that draws Chloe’s attention to her own body. She’s wearing a blue bikini similar to one she’d had when she’d been in her twenties. But her body is definitely that of her current self in the real world - curvier, more veluptuous, and _strong -_ forty one years old and proud. Gone is most of her embarrassment and disappointment in her body. And that new found confidence has come from Beca making her feel comfortable in her own body. Because Beca loves her no matter what. And while sometimes she catches herself feeling self conscious, she’s quickly reminded why she _shouldn’t_ feel that way.

“So we have no risk of getting burnt under this sun.” Beca says while looking down at the sun lotion she’s busy squeezing into the palm of her hand, “But lets face it, rubbing lotion on each other is one hell of a good form of foreplay so…”

And a broad smile spreads across Chloe’s face, her eyebrows rising, “Oh so we’re gonna be having sex huh?” she teases, her pussy throbbing in anticipation.

She’s already taken a couple of moments to take in Beca’s beautiful appearance - the woman wearing a white bikini, no longer afraid to expose the long scar that runs down the centre of her abdomen. Chloe loves it just as she loves every inch of Beca both inside and out. And this is only the second time they’ve agreed to meet in the VRX world in their real-world forms.

“Maaaybe.” Beca says with a shrug, placing the bottle down on the sand below before rubbing the lotion between her palms and sitting up on her knees, “Lay on your front Beale, I’d better start with your back.”

Chloe grins, doing as instructed and turning then shuffling to the centre of the large sunlounger. She tugs her bottom lip between her teeth at the feel of Beca straddling her thighs.

“Am I good to loosen your bikini top?” Beca asks and Chloe looks over her shoulder at her, watching as Beca winks mischievously at her and Chloe lets out a chuckle. She’s yet to be in the VRX world and _not_ have Beca ask permission to take her clothes off. It’s part of what makes the brunette so endearing.

“Of course.”

Chloe lays back down, tingling in anticipation as Beca fumbles to untie her bikini top, and after a couple of moments Beca’s lotioned hands begin sweeping across her shoulders, then down her back.

Her eyes flickers closed as the hands sweep up, then drag down a little firmer around her shoulder blades, scooping down her sides, then pausing at her bikini bottoms.

“So how was the promo tour?” Chloe asks conversationally while Beca seems to shuffle off Chloe’s body and down onto the sand.

“Ugh lonnnnng!” Beca complains, and Chloe knows why. The woman has never enjoyed touring. Particularly promo touring. At least this one was only in the States.

The redhead lets out a hum of approval when she feels her lovers hands now drifting up her legs from her ankles to the backs of her knees. But they don’t stop there. Further and further up they go. Then suddenly Chloe holds her breath, a smile on her face. Because Beca’s hands reach beneath her bikini fabric and cup her ass.

“Is the sun gonna reach my ass?” Chloe asks in an amused tone, and she hears Beca’s playful response.

“You never know. Better to be safe than sorry!”

And Chloe agrees. Particularly with the way the woman now sweeps large circles around her fleshy behind. A soft moan escapes her mouth the moment Beca’s thumbs begin slipping a little lower, and as soon as they slide over the entrance to Chloe’s pussy, both women swallow loudly.

“I uh-” Beca begins, pausing to clear her throat, and to Chloe’s disappointment, she feels her lover remove her hands and step away from the sunlounger, “-I’d better do your front now. Just in case.”

Chloe doesn’t smile. But it’s not because she’s upset or disappointed. It’s because she’s _aroused_. So she does as she’s told once again, turning on the sunlounger, her eyes remaining closed. She tugs off her bikini top that is resting untied on her upper body, and drops it down into the sand. She lets out a light sigh, and waits with baited breath.

She hears the cap to the sun lotion _crack_ again. And once again she tugs her bottom lip between her teeth. She can feel her pussy throbbing, already missing the feel of Beca’s thumbs, and she waits as patiently as possible while the woman spreads the lotion around between her hands for even coverage.

Chloe notes the way a shadow blocks out some of the sun shining against her closed eyelids. And her heart begins to beat a little faster when she becomes aware that that shadow is Beca.

The moment Beca’s hands rest upon Chloe’s collarbone, a smile spreads across Chloe’s mouth. She takes such a long deep breath at the contact that her upper body rises up off the sunlounger for a moment. And it seems to make Beca’s arousal heighten. Because Chloe feels Beca exhale heavily as her small hands begin sweeping sunlotion across her chest.

Those hands meet in the centre then creep down, over Chloe’s sternum, down to her stomach, across her ‘jelly belly’, then back up. A moan leaves Chloe’s mouth as Beca’s hands finally find their way to her breasts, and she lets out a breath of air when the brunette’s fingers find her nipples - rubbing over them and tweaking them over and over again.

Chloe brings her hands down to her bikini bottoms, ready to cup her pussy, but Beca is quick to slap her hands away.

“I’ll get to her soon.” Beca promises, and Chloe bites her bottom lip once again, raising her hips to try to find something to push against her pussy and provide some relief. But she quickly gives up when, to her delight, Beca suddenly captures her left nipple between her teeth and nibbles it for a few moments.

Pain and pleasure shoots through Chloe’s body and, rather than cup her pussy (like she’s been told she’s not allowed to do), she gets a handful of Beca’s hair instead and encourages the woman’s efforts on her breasts. The nibbles are soothed by Beca’s thick wet tongue, swirling around them over and over. And Chloe honestly couldn’t think of a better way to spend her long weekend then right here, in paradise.

—

A loud throaty moan releases from Chloe’s mouth, her head falling back onto the canvas of the sunlounger as her pussy throbs around Beca’s fingers. A lazy smile sweeps onto her face, her hand rising to her eyes as she covers them and lets out a chuckle of disbelief. Dare she say it - her best orgasm yet?

It’s what she tells herself every time.

“I never get sick of this sight.” she hears Beca say, and Chloe looks down the length of her body to see the woman looking up at her with a satisfied grin. Chloe has to admit, she never gets sick of the sight of Beca between her legs either. Her eyes roll into the back of her head, throwing it back down onto the canvas as another moan falls from her mouth when Beca removes her fingers from within her.

Beca places light kisses on the inside of Chloe’s thighs before eventually making her way back up to lay beside the redhead with a heavy sigh. Chloe’s eyes remain closed, that lazy smile returning as Beca’s fingertips swirl gently across her ‘jelly belly’ - one of Beca’s favourite parts of Chloe’s body apparently. And Chloe thinks about how perfect her life feels.

Okay so real life is a little complicated still. Yes, she and her husband have come to a mutual agreement with regards to their respective lovers. But their sons still don’t know the situation, nor do they know the extent at which both their mother or father have undergone their affairs. So it makes being around the teens somewhat tricky - particularly when Beca pops up for dinner out of the blue in the week, or Chicago goes for ‘work drinks’ with Aubrey. But it seems to work for now.

“Will you marry me?”

The question is asked clearly through the air, and Chloe’s smile drops in shock. She turns to face Beca, her eyes opening to see the woman looking back at her anxiously.

“I don’t mean right away of course, just… _someday_? When everything’s blown over in the real world?”

Marry Beca? It was something Chloe had dreamt about doing once upon a time. Back in college maybe. But it hasn’t been something that has crossed her mind in recent years.

As she thinks about it, however - how wonderful it’d be to actually be Beca’s _wife_ ; how complicated it’d be trying to navigate that relationship in the real world with all the publicity Beca reveives on a daily basis; how content she’d feel to be able to go to bed with the woman she adores every single night for the rest of her life - Chloe sees absolutely no reason why not.

“Of course I will.” she agrees in a far calmer tone than she’d ever once fantasised that she would use. She revels in the way Beca smiles in relief, and the two draw their faces closer together to place a firm kiss - a ‘promise’ if you will - on one another’s lips.

During her daydreams back in college, she’d always imagined she’d scream her ‘Yes!’ from the rooftops and get ridiculously giddy. But the Chloe of now is older and wiser and has far more life experience. As such, she knows that saying yes to Beca is as automatic as breathing air. That it doesn’t really need to be said. And she hopes that Beca would’ve always known her answer to be yes.

Chloe pushes firmly on Beca’s hip, rolling the woman onto her back, and she feels her lover smile into their kiss as their tongues meet in her mouth. Straddling her hips, Chloe decides it’s her turn to rub in some lotion. But first she brings a hand down behind her and briefly feels between Beca’s legs.

“Disappointed?” Beca asks, referring to her choice in Sim genitalia, having always had a dick in this VRX world until now. But Chloe simply smiles, bending down to place a soft kiss on Beca’s lips. A kiss of encouragement. Because they’d had sex in the real world on several occasions before now. It wasn’t unusual for Beca to have a pussy.

“Never.” she replies, and she begins pressing deep kisses to Beca’s jawline and neck while her hands gently fondle Beca’s breasts. A hum rumbles from the back of the brunette’s throat.

“Good.” comes Beca’s response, “Though I’ve got a way of changing it up whenever and if you want me to.”

Chloe sits back upright, looking at Beca with a slight frown and a curious smile, and Beca grins.

“DICK!” she yells clearly and claps her hands.

Chloe practically tumbles off the sunlounger when she suddenly feels a bulge push up against her ass. Her eyes are immediately drawn to Beca’s crotch and to her delight she notices that Beca is now sporting a dick beneath her bikini bottoms.

“I can change it back whenever you like.” Beca explains, but just as she takes a breath to shout out ‘PUSSY!’ Chloe stops her.

“It’s okay!” Chloe quickly interrupts, “I definitely fancy being filled this time around.”

The two women look at one another, smiles sweeping across their faces while Beca slips her bikini from her lower body. Her dick springs out. And as Chloe clambers back onto Beca’s body, sexual anticipation that comes in the form of a tingle runs over her body.

The moment Beca’s Sim dick nudges against Chloe’s wet pussy, Chloe grins. Because it doesn’t matter to her what form Beca presents herself in. At the end of the day Beca is hers and she is Beca’s. And this is their little scrap of VRX paradise.


End file.
